Strawberries On Top
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: It's never easy starting a new job, and Weiss Schnee is about to do just that, rather unenthusiastically. But with a peculiar pair of co-workers and an even more peculiar pair of regular customers, she might just change her mind. [Ice Cream Shop AU].
1. Chapter 1

**Finally, time for my Ice Cream Shop AU! I wrote this fic probably about half a year ago, so it might not be very good (from what I remember, ahaha) so please forgive me. I remember thinking it to be pretty boring, but I hope you don't think so...**

 **Special thanks to bonthekitten and TabooSho!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Strawberries On Top

Chapter 1.

It would be a lie if Weiss were to say she wasn't nervous today.

It was her first day of her new summer job behind the counter of her father's famous ice cream shop, the only one on the east side of Vale.

Naturally, they got a lot of business and did rather well, considering there was no competition. With how well-off her family was, Weiss never thought she'd _need_ to get a job, but her father insisted it would be good experience for her, that it would provide assistance around the shop, and Weiss was permitted to do whatever she pleased with the money she earned.

Presently, her father had just parked their car in the strip mall's parking lot, and Weiss nervously unbuckled her seat belt. She might've felt a bit better about all of this if Winter were working together with her, but her sister already had a full schedule for the next few weeks with babysitting gigs.

Therefore, Weiss was about to start working with staff she didn't know, people she'd never met before. And though her father would be in his office not far away from the time the shop opened until it closed...

...she couldn't shake the feeling that she was going to be more or less completely alone in this place.

She'd never been the best at making friends, and being home-schooled hadn't exactly helped with her social skills. Luckily for her, this week would be a trial run, and if she ended up feeling too uncomfortable with the job, her father was going to allow her to quit.

 _Just one week_ , Weiss reminded herself. _That was the deal. I can handle that, no problem._

But it wasn't so much the co-workers she was concerned about; she was efficient enough to do her job with or without them.

She was more worried about the strange kind of customers they could potentially be getting; she'd heard horror stories from people who worked in retail or in shops about the sheer calibre of "odd" some people could be.

As she unbuckled herself and stepped out of the car, Weiss dusted off her blue mini skirt, briefly wondering why she'd gone through the trouble of dressing nicely from the waist down when all people were going to see of her would be from above the counter.

She followed her father across the parking lot and to the strip mall to where Schnee's Ice Cream was located, at the very end. It was near the edge of the parking lot, and there were several small tables set up along a strip of grassy area that was also her father's property. Customers often sat there to enjoy their ice cream outside on warmer days.

Weiss looked up at the large familiar sign above the door. The text for Schnee's Ice Cream was bolded and yet somehow refined, with just a bit of a swirl to the dark blue letters. Against the white background, a large snowflake-like symbol – the family crest – was at the center of the sign.

Weiss traced over the snowflake with her eyes from where she stood on the sidewalk as her father unlocked the doors and beckoned her inside.

A naturally-cold breeze met Weiss instantly as the lights came on; the chill was another thing she'd have to get used to. But when it was drawing so near to hottest summer months now, she didn't think it would be all that bad. In fact the air conditioning would be rather welcomed.

Again, she just feared what kind of odd customers might saunter into the shop to take refuge from the heat and end up loitering and causing problems.

But for now, the troubling thoughts went to the back of her mind to start collecting dust as she followed her father behind the counter, where all the assortments of ice cream were contained behind the glass.

He first handed Weiss a white and blue apron with the shop's logo, name, and symbol on it, and as Weiss slipped it over her neck and tied the strings at the small of her back, she once again wondered why she'd gone through the trouble of dressing nicely this morning.

Once she was ready, her father brought her over to the rows of large containers where the ice cream was kept. Weiss had seen the palette of frozen colors countless times before, however this was her first time seeing it from the other side of the counter. She did her best to memorize each title of the flavors as her father listed them now.

 _Strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, black raspberry..._

Those were the basics, and then there were the spin-off combinations, the swirls, the difference between cone or cup, the difference between a small, medium, or large order-

And then their infamous "unlimited toppings".

If customers paid an extra $1 fee, they were permitted to ask for as many toppings that could fit on their ice cream.

Weiss' eyes scanned the jars and bottles now: sprinkles, gummy bears, M&Ms, peanuts, whipped cream, syrup, cherries, strawberries, cookies or – perhaps most confusingly of all – plain white powdered sugar.

Weiss wrinkled her nose distastefully. _Who would ever ask for plain sugar on top of their ice cream? Felons? The mentally insane? Is there not enough sugar in the stuff already?_

With a roll of her eyes, she followed her father to the cash register as he taught her how to go about using it. After her short lesson had finished and she'd proved she could work it through a small trial run with him, he deemed her fit and ready to begin her first day.

"The other employees will help you out as well," he reminded her. "And should you need me, I'll be in my office." He nodded to a door in the wall several feet behind the cash register. "Remember this is only a trial week to see if you like the job. I hope you will. Do your best." He leaned down to press a quick kiss to her head.

"Yes, Papa. Of course I will." Weiss met his eyes and smiled faintly. She wasn't so certain she could find passion in the family business the way he did, but she didn't want to disappoint him without even trying.

He nodded to her before heading over to his office, disappearing through the door, and closing it behind him.

Weiss stood in the shop in silence for a moment, her eyes traveling to the several sets of tables and chairs indoors. A large window to the side of the building permitted her to see the ones outside in the grass as well. The walls inside were painted with cookies and ice cream, all in various vibrant colors, and for a moment, Weiss silently traced the outlines of the pictures with her eyes.

She straightened up when her father emerged once more, holding a small card, which she soon realized to be a name tag. Hers.

He clipped it on her apron over her left shoulder, nodding to himself in satisfaction before he made a request of her.

"We've still got half an hour before we open to the public. Could you give the tables a quick cleaning?"

"Of course."

Weiss knelt down briefly to open the cabinets beneath the counters, extracting a bottle of cleaning spray and a roll of paper towels. She headed outside first to begin on the tables and chairs there, rolling up the dirtied paper towels and tossing them in a nearby trash can.

The "quick" cleaning her father had asked for just wasn't possible with Weiss; he knew she was a bit of a neat freak and likely just wanted to give her something to do so her nerves about her first day wouldn't get to her.

By this time, the summer sun was rising, dyeing the brown-painted strip mall buildings in oranges and golds. When she looked to the sky, Weiss found it pink and yellow, and the circle of the sun itself was red, indication that today would be one of their first sweltering days of the season.

Weiss cleaned the tables and chairs outside for about ten minutes, making sure she got every inch of all surfaces before returning inside. She found that her father had turned on the radio, and soft, pleasant songs were now filling the shop as Weiss started on cleaning the inside tables.

About ten minutes before the shop opened, just as Weiss was starting on her second table, the chime to the back door opened, and Weiss jolted as she looked up. Customers couldn't enter through that door, so she was expecting trouble of some sort.

But the girl she saw before her didn't seem to be posing a threat.

She was several inches taller than Weiss, dressed in black pants and a purple tank top, long, thick black hair flowing down her shoulders and back. She wore a black bow on top of her head and was rubbing her eyes as she walked inside, mumbling a half-hearted "'Morning..."

Weiss relaxed when she realized this girl was another employee – and certainly no threat, judging by the way she walked into one of the tables and stumbled. That seemed to wake her up a bit, and she opened her eyes fully, revealing a golden color like the sun at midday. Her gaze went instantly and curiously to Weiss, and a friendly smile formed on her lips.

"Hi. You must be Mr. Schnee's daughter. He mentioned you'd be starting soon." The girl made her way around the chairs and halted a few feet before Weiss. "I'm Blake. I could show you the ropes around here if you'd like."

Weiss' eyes were hard as she gave the girl a once-over.

"I already know the ropes quite well, thank you."

She didn't mean to sound hostile; it was just how her voice naturally was, especially when she was flustered. But she saw the other girl's smile fade for a moment, and Weiss instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She followed Blake's eyes as they rested on her name tag.

"Weiss..." she said slowly. "Am I saying it right? It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand in greeting, but Weiss' eyes flashed quickly down to the dirty paper towels in her hands.

"Um-" Helplessly, she failed to reach out her hand as well.

Blake realized what her plight was and quickly withdrew her own hand.

"Oh, sorry. I'll get my apron on and come help you out."

With that, she headed off behind the counter, leaving Weiss to clutch her hand into a fist until her nails were embedded in her palm.

 _Great_ , she hissed to herself. _A wonderful first start... Who am I kidding? I'll never make it in this job..._

The hopeful mood she'd gotten herself into over the past half hour had effectively been soured through no one's fault but her own.

Weiss heaved a sigh, feeling her shoulders slumping and posture slouching as she continued to wash the table surface. She peeked up past her bangs to seek Blake behind the counter.

The girl was tying her apron behind her back before using her teeth to slip a hair tie off her wrist, and then gather her hair behind her head. After a minute of collecting the thick dark locks, she tied it into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck before walking toward the office door and knocking to wish her boss good morning.

Weiss returned to her work as Blake came back around the counter.

"Toss me the roll," she said, nodding to the paper towels.

Weiss blinked at her, a little confused, but she picked them up nonetheless. Uncertainty was written clearly on her face and spoke volumes to her nervousness as she threw the roll, and several sheets came unraveled in the air.

But Blake saved her the humiliation of throwing so badly it hit the floor, as she dove forward to grab everything. "Nice throw," she chuckled, tearing off a sheet.

Weiss looked away, feeling her cheeks heating up, and she bit the inside of one.

Blake stepped behind her and hooked the bottle of cleaner liquid off the table with her index finger. She spritzed a few times onto her paper towel before giving the bottle back to Weiss and heading off to start on one of the last tables.

Weiss too, continued to work, though she kept one eye on Blake and she wasn't quite sure why. The music only filled the silence for a moment before the dark-haired girl spoke up again.

"So what's your shift today?" she wondered.

Weiss paused her cleaning for a moment as she pondered the answer.

"I'd assume until closing time? I mean my father drove me here and I don't have any other way to get back home other than wait until he leaves."

"An entire day shift?" Blake repeated, baffled. "Whoa. That's a bit rough for your first day, but I guess it makes sense."

"Are you not staying the entire day?" Weiss wondered.

"No. I'm only here until one, then Sun's coming in for the afternoon until closing."

"Sun?" Weiss parroted, and she began to wonder just how many people worked here.

"Yeah," Blake nodded. "He's a bit of a hassle sometimes, but he's a people person. Which helps if you're not. I'll stick around a little later today to introduce the two of you."

"It's alright," Weiss mumbled as she finished up her table. "You don't have to do that. I'll meet him whether you stay or not, so there's no point in you staying later than you have to."

"I've got nowhere to be," Blake shrugged. "So I don't mind." She too finished cleaning her table, and realized they were done. "Come with me and let's wash off. Customers are gonna start coming in any minute now."

She led the way back behind the counter, and Weiss followed with the cleaning supplies in-hand.

Blake led her to a small hallway beside the toppings' counter, a crevice that Weiss had completely overlooked upon her first look around the place. She crouched down briefly to put away the spray and paper towels before following after Blake.

"There's a bathroom back here," the dark-haired girl informed her. "We have one for customers, but this one is just for employees, which is nice. Here."

She motioned Weiss over to the sink with her. Blake took the soap dispenser and squirted a bit into Weiss' palm before doing the same for herself. She turned on the water and began lathering her hands as she continued speaking. "There's also a mini fridge out in the hall. I'll show you that next."

She tried to give Weiss some space to wash her hands, and once Blake was finished, she pulled down some fresh paper towels to dry off with. Weiss did the same once she was finished, and next Blake led her out of the bathroom and to the fridge. Blake knelt down to open it, revealing a dozen or so small bottles of water and juice.

"Your dad buys them for us, which is really nice of him. Sun tends to clear out the juices on a daily basis so if you want some, take it now."

"Water's fine," Weiss reassured her.

"Here." Blake tossed a bottle up to her and took one for herself. "You look like you need it. You've been here for hours cleaning and the day hasn't even officially begun yet. If you're going to be here all day, make sure you take a break every now and again."

Weiss nodded once as she opened her water and tilted her chin back to drink. She hadn't realized how parched she'd been until now when the icy water flowed down her throat.

Once finished, she closed the bottle and slipped it into the pocket of her apron before following her coworker back out. The clock across the room had just struck 8:00AM, and it was time to start preparing for customers.

They stood side by side for a moment or so. Blake was so calm and expectant of what was to come, but Weiss couldn't stop clutching at her apron and shifting her posture. Thankfully, Blake saved her from waiting through more silence.

"If you need help with anything, just let me know. I'm sure you'll be fine, but sometimes it can get hectic in here, especially on a hot day like today should be."

"Will do," Weiss nodded, glad that her tone was no longer so harsh-sounding. "I... do have one question, though."

"Sure. Anything."

Weiss met Blake's eyes and glanced back to the "toppings" counter.

"Is there _really_ anyone who ever comes in asking for _sugar_ on their ice cream?"

Blake was silent for a moment. Then, she laughed out loud.

"The way you'd said that... I thought you were going to ask something serious..."

"This is a serious question!" Weiss snapped.

"Right... of course." Blake wiped a hand over her eyes as she breathed deeply. "But to answer your question, yes. You'd be surprised at the kinds of people we get here. There's this one pair of sis-"

"Oh! Tell me later." Weiss stopped her suddenly. "We've got our first customers coming in now."

Blake nodded and saved the story for later; she'd probably even get to show Weiss exactly what she'd meant to describe.

"Alright," Blake said softly as the customers – a mother and two young boys – entered the shop.

Weiss and Blake both greeted them with "good morning"s, as the boys rushed over to start looking at the selection of ice cream. In their last minute of silence, Weiss cleared her throat to get Blake's attention.

"I never introduced myself properly. I'm Weiss Schnee. It's nice to be working with you." She extended her hand with confidence, though Blake noticed the way her fingers trembled slightly.

The fact that Weiss was willing to redo their awkward meeting this morning caused Blake to smile, glad that there was no intended animosity between them.

"Nice to meet you, Weiss."

She met Weiss' hand with her own and shook it gently.

Weiss smiled up at her before turning around to the counter.

"Alright then. Here's to a good first day on the job together."

* * *

The morning began fairly easily for the two girls.

They got into the routine of Blake taking the orders and scooping the ice cream while Weiss waited on the register.

Once the people had their treats, she would stand back for a moment to watch them choose their seats indoors or walk outside. The day was bright and warm as she'd anticipated, and within only the first hour of being open, she and Blake had served two dozen customers.

"And it's only 9AM," Blake mumbled. "Noontime is hectic because everyone's on lunch break. Plus, it's the hottest time of day. Sometimes, the line goes out the door."

Weiss made a small sound in the back of her throat.

"How did you manage it on your own?" she wondered.

Blake shrugged.

"Sometimes your dad would come out to help if it got to be too much for me and Sun. But I think it'll be a lot simpler with you here. You're really fast and efficient."

"Oh, please..."

Weiss looked away, and Blake chuckled to herself.

They made it through another hour without any hitches, and before Weiss knew it, it was noon. She took the water bottle from her pocket and drank a few sips, thankful for the air conditioning in the shop; judging by the shorts, tank tops, and loose shirts the customers were wearing, it was a humid day outside.

During the chaotic lunchtime hour, Blake's predictions came true, and a long line of customers formed, leading out the door and around the side of the building. She and Weiss both took on the tasks of taking orders and getting to the register.

The interior of the place was bustling with people of all ages, though Weiss did appreciate the efforts of the parents who kept their children in check rather than let them run rampant and fight over the gum-ball machine.

She was also incredulous at how many people asked for the "unlimited toppings" option and paid the fee. The time it took her to both scoop the ice cream and ring up the price was less time than it took to add on all the combinations of toppings people asked for.

Some wanted gummy bears, some wanted syrup and cherries, others wanted peanuts and whipped cream, others wanted whipped cream and sprinkles and cherries...

Weiss was certain she had gone through every feasible combination in that one hour alone.

When the midday crowd started to die down, Weiss' father came out to see how they were doing. Weiss gave him a tired but accomplished smile and he patted her shoulder. Once had had returned to his office, Blake came up beside her co-worker.

"You should take a break. Sit down for a minute."

"Where? On top of the counters?" Weiss asked sarcastically.

Blake chuckled again.

"Just take one of the empty tables."

She encouraged Weiss to slip away from the counter and sit for a moment. The only reason Weiss didn't fight her on the matter was because there were only three customers right now, and they had all been served already.

She sat down and finished off her water bottle, glancing up to find Blake had extracted a cell phone and was presently texting someone.

Weiss had just started enjoying the easygoing silence and tune of the music when the doors burst open behind her, the chimes ringing loudly. She quite literally jumped up out of her seat and whirled around as a boy with spiky blond hair entered.

"Hello, Schnee's Ice Cream!" he sang, drawing the attention of everyone in the shop.

Weiss' eyes scoured him from the feet up; he wore open-toed sandals and loose jeans that were rolled up to his calves, but most appallingly of all was his white button-up shirt that _wasn't buttoned up at all._ His toned stomach was on display for all to see, and Weiss felt her face go beet red with embarrassment. How dare this ruffian trounce his way into _her_ ice cream shop dressed like that?

"Excuse you!" Weiss growled under her breath, trying not to upset the other customers. "Who exactly do you think you are? Isn't your lousy dress code breaking several laws of common decency? Need I call the authorities on you?"

"Whoa, hey, easy!" He put his hands up in surrender, though the grin stayed on his face. "Hey now, who're you, wearing our uniform? You're pretty cute-"

"Quit it, you idiot," Blake sighed, coming around from behind the counter. The boy perked up when he saw her, but she continued to look playfully unamused. "I don't think Nep would appreciate you harassing girls, do you?"

"Aw c'mon, you're not gonna tattle on me are ya? I was just-"

"Pardon me," Weiss cut him off, her eyes going to Blake. "But do you know this scoundrel?"

"Unfortunately," Blake sighed, ignoring an indignant "hey!" from the boy. "Weiss, I probably should have given you a better warning and apologized in advance, but... this is Sun. Our co-worker."

Weiss thought she felt her jaw hit the floor.

"I... I pray you're joking."

"I'm afraid not."

"Aw, c'mon Blake!" Sun whined. "You're makin' me sound like some kinda criminal!"

"Dressed as you are, I'd believe it," Weiss muttered.

"Really," Blake hissed at him. "Cover up, would you? You're working now."

"I'm just gonna put the apron on! Chill out, okay?" Sun snuck past them to slip behind the counter and find his apron, covering his open shirt as he tied it.

Weiss cast a desperate glance toward Blake.

"You can't seriously be leaving me alone with _him_ for the next seven hours."

"I'm sorry. I'll give him a stern talking-to and make sure he behaves, though. And don't worry. He's an idiot, but he's harmless and works hard when he needs to. Plus, he's got a boyfriend, so you don't have to worry about anything like that."

Weiss blinked, then nodded.

"So long as he does his job..."

"He will. Your father hired him for a reason. He's like a monkey the way he chatters nonstop and charms people into paying for the extra toppings."

Blake motioned for Weiss to follow her back behind the counter. They stopped beside Sun who had just finished tying his apron and was grinning at the two of them.

"So~" he drawled. "Who's the new girl?"

"Sun," Blake said with a bit of warning in her tone. "This is Weiss. Schnee. As in-"

"Whoa, boss' daughter!" Sun straightened his posture instantly and smacked a salute to his forehead as he turned to Weiss. "My bad for scarin' ya just now."

"I wasn't scared," Weiss snapped. "Just... startled."

"Right, okay." Sun nodded and lowered his hand again, glancing back to Blake. "I like her already."

"Great. I'll let your boyfriend know."

"Blake, c'mon!"

The two bickered playfully for a moment longer while Weiss busied herself by cleaning the countertops. She was pleasantly surprised at herself as to how quickly she had seemed to warm up to both Blake and even Sun.

The next customer that arrived was left to him to handle, and Weiss watched him smooth-talk the woman into paying the extra dollar for the "unlimited toppings" option. Once she'd paid and Sun had sent her off with her ice cream, he turned back to Weiss with a thumbs-up.

"So. Am I good or am I good?"

"Impressive," Weiss admitted. "But you could do with a bit of a better speech pattern, if you ask me."

"Aw, but the voice is the best part! Other than, y'know, the rest of me." He grinned again and Weiss rolled her eyes.

It was then she heard the short tune of Blake's cell phone go off, and Weiss turned back to the other girl.

"Oh, I gotta get home. My shift ended twenty minutes ago." She started untying her apron and slipped it off her neck.

"What?" Sun smirked. "No Yang today?"

"I texted her to be here half an hour ago, but she said she'd be late. I guess I'll have to catch her tomorrow. Sun, if she does drop by after I leave today, make sure to put almonds in her ice cream."

"But she hates those."

"Exactly."

Blake hung up her apron and pulled her hair free of its ponytail for the first time in five and a half hours. She checked her phone one last time before sighing and slipping it into her pants pocket.

"Well, I've gotta go. Good luck, you two. And Weiss, if he gives you any trouble, just threaten to drink all the juice before he does."

"You wouldn't!" Sun cried.

Weiss couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright. Thank you for your help, Blake."

"Don't mention it. I'll see you tomorrow in the afternoon. Sun's got morning shift."

Blake slipped into her boss' office to say goodbye to him before heading out the shop's door with one last wave over her shoulder.

The second she was gone, Weiss felt the awkwardness in the air thicken between Sun and herself. Blake had been easy enough to speak to due to her somewhat quieter disposition, but in the full four minutes since Weiss had known him, Sun had been nothing but talkative.

Presently, he cracked his neck, making Weiss wince as she headed over to the register. A few more customers came in and Sun got their orders for them, again convincing them to try out the unlimited toppings.

Weiss listened to what he said to persuade those people, wondering if she would be able to do the same. The customers paid for their ice cream and Weiss gave them a smile as they turned away. Immediately after that, Sun ran up to her.

"Hey! I'm just gonna run to the john, kay? Be back in a sec! Don't miss me!" And with that he scurried off.

Weiss heaved a sigh as she watched him go.

"Honestly..." she muttered. "Couldn't you have done that before you came here?"

It was the first time she'd been alone behind the counter all day so far, and a prickle of nervousness crept up her spine. There were a few people eating in the corner table, but other than that there was no one-

"Ha!"

A loud voice suddenly erupted throughout the peaceful shop as a person slammed into the door, pushing it open with speed and force as the chimes went crazy.

Weiss felt her heart seize as she put a hand to her chest, eyes flying to the door and the source of the disruption.

It was a girl in a red t-shirt and a small black skirt, chocolate-brown hair reaching her shoulders as she panted, laughing victoriously over her shoulder.

"I beat you! Now you have to buy me whatever I want!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Another voice groaned, and not a moment later, a taller blonde girl came limping up to the door the first girl was holding open for her.

Once the initial shock had died away, Weiss released a long sigh.

"Is everyone around here just excessively loud today?" She grumbled as much, but as soon as the two new customers entered the shop, she exchanged her scowl for a smile. "Good afternoon and welcome to Schnee's Ice Cream," she said.

"Oh, hi!" The brunette grinned back at her before scurrying over to the counter. The blonde girl followed more slowly.

"Only a small or medium, Ruby," she warned. "I don't have enough cash to buy you any mumbo-jumbo-sized things."

"Okaaaayyy..."

While the smaller of the two girls mumbled to herself while staring at the choices, the blonde came to a stop opposite Weiss.

"Is Blake here?" she asked.

Weiss blinked at her, assuming these girls must be regulars.

"No, you just missed her," she said.

"Damn it. She's gonna kill me..." The blonde bit her knuckles for a second.

The girl she'd called Ruby was bouncing up and down beside her, and Weiss directed her attention to the smaller girl.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah, yeah! Okay so I'd like a large- er medium double-scoop of hard-served chocolate and soft-served strawberry ice cream please!"

"Right. One moment please."

Weiss quickly turned around and selected a medium-sized cup, moving a bit stiffly as she realized this was the first time all day she'd be serving customers alone behind the counter. She went to the appropriate containers and scooped a generous amount of chocolate and strawberry into the cup before plucking out a small blue spoon and sticking it into the ice cream.

Since Sun wasn't back yet, Weiss decided to try out his techniques of persuading people to try the toppings bar as well. Weiss turned back to the bubbling brunette and cleared her throat.

"May I... interest you in our unlimited toppings option for an extra dollar? We've got an assortment of things such as peanuts-"

"Oh whoa!" The blonde cut Weiss' speech off with a chuckle, and the white-haired girl pouted as her words were lost. She glared at the taller girl, and the blonde seemed to realize her mistake. "My bad, sorry! It's just kinda funny that you'd think you need to persuade _Ruby_ of all people to try the extra toppings."

"Well Yang, she's obviously new here!" Ruby defended. "We come here every day. Have _you_ ever seen her before? I didn't expect her to know." Ruby turned back to Weiss and gave her a kind smile that reached her peculiar silver eyes. "I'd love the unlimited toppings too, thanks! I'll take a scoop of everything!"

Weiss was just beginning to relish in the fact that she'd successfully taken an order and gotten the customer to use the toppings bar all by herself-

-that is until she'd realized what the girl had just requested.

"Pardon?" Weiss said, quirking an eyebrow. She'd gotten people asking for single toppings, sometimes combinations of two and very rarely three things, but- "Did you say... everything?"

In contrast to her confusion, the brunette merely continued to smile.

"Yep! I know it all fits better in a big cup, but Yang said I can only get medium today."

Weiss was still standing in the same spot, dumbfounded. She failed to see how someone could enjoy the taste of gummy bears, whipped cream, syrup, cherries, strawberries, sprinkles, cookie bits, and nuts all in one sitting. And this girl had said they came to the shop every single day.

This Ruby girl was clearly on another level above the rest.

But Weiss wasn't one to complain. The "unlimited toppings" were just that, so if this girl wanted everything, she was by all means permitted to have it.

Weiss finally moved her feet and went to the jars and containers of treats and toppings, taking out each spoon in turn and pouring the nuts, gummy bears, candies, cookies, and sprinkles before adding on the syrup, whipped cream, _plain sugar,_ and finally the fruit, one of each.

In the end, there was hardly any ice cream visible beneath the mountain of toppings, and she placed it on the counter.

Ruby was nearly salivating, and Weiss actually had to hold back a small laugh.

"Will that be all?" she asked.

"Oh, I'll have a little something, too," the blonde – Yang – said. "After all, I had to chase this little bullet train all the way here and it's like... 100 degrees out. Um, I'll have a small vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles, please."

Weiss nodded and prepared her order as well before heading to the cash register.

"Your total is-"

"Um-!"

Weiss paused and looked up. Ruby was holding her finger up coyly.

Weiss titled her head a bit.

"Is something the matter?"

Her hands clutched at her apron at the thought of having messed up an order.

But the brunette shook her head from side to side.

"No, no not at all! Don't worry! It's just..." She made a circle on the tiled floor with her shoe. "Would it be possible to... get an extra strawberry? I love them so much, heh."

Weiss blinked again, but she didn't see anything wrong with the request.

"Of course."

Making her way back to where the strawberries were kept, Weiss plucked out one more before adding it to the mound of toppings on the girl's ice cream. Ruby's face absolutely lit up.

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it..." Weiss turned her face away quickly and took a quick breath before continuing. "Now then, your total is $5.50."

Ruby took her cup off the counter and squealed in delight as Yang balanced her cone in one hand and fumbled to remove her wallet with the other. When at last she'd poured the money out and paid Weiss, the two girls headed off to sit down at a nearby table.

Weiss felt a wave of accomplishment come over her, proud of herself for having handled two orders entirely on her own.

 _This isn't so tough_.

A minute later, Sun re-emerged, given away by his loud voice.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

Weiss smirked.

"Oh nothing. Just me _expertly_ -"

"Oh, Yang! 'Sup?"

Again, Weiss was rudely cut off as Sun leaned over the counter with a wave to the blonde girl.

"Oh, it's Monkey Boy!"

"Guuhhh, didn't I ask you not to call me that?"

"Aaaand that's exactly why I do it~"

"Damn it," Sun grumbled. "You're lucky Weiss Princess was the one serving you, 'cuz Blake told me to give you almonds if you showed up!"

Weiss' indigent little "hey!" at the nickname she hadn't consented to went unnoticed as Yang let out a groan.

"Shit. I know she's probably mad at me. But we were running late as is!"

"Welp, ya just gotta send her an apology text and make it up to her tomorrow."

At last, Weiss got her voice to interject, her eyes trained on Yang's as she spoke.

"Are you friends with Blake?"

Lavender eyes went wide just seconds before a grin spread across her lips.

"Yeah, Princess. Blakey 'n I are really... _close_ friends," she chuckled.

Weiss was about to demand to know why she was being teased when her attention was directed elsewhere.

"All done!" Ruby pushed her chair back and got to her feet, carrying her empty plastic cup over to the trash can. Weiss followed her with incredulous eyes as she returned to her table.

"Already? How did you manage to scarf all of that down so quickly?"

"'Cause when I eat, I give my _full_ attention to the ice cream, not _gabbing_ like Yang does," she replied, sticking her tongue out at the blonde. Yang returned the gesture before reaching out to pinch Ruby's nose, earning a squeal of protest.

"Haha! Like a little piglet~" Yang cooed.

"YANGUH! LEMME GOH!"

"Yo, sisters shouldn't be fightin'!" Sun called over.

"Sisters?" Weiss repeated, glancing the two girls over.

She could definitely understand.

At last, Yang released the smaller girl, and Ruby stuck her tongue out again before returning to her seat, taking out a handheld game from her skirt pocket to occupy herself.

Yang continued licking her ice cream as she spoke with Sun.

"But yeah anyway, I'll apologize to Blake tomorrow. We still up for that double date Saturday night?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" Sun agreed. "Neptune's gonna be free a little after six."

"Hold on a moment," Weiss stopped him, pointing a finger to his nose. "So you mean to tell me that both you and Blake will be leaving me alone this Saturday evening two hours before closing?"

"Chill out!" Sun shrugged, patting her hand down. "I'm sure you'll be fine! It's just for two hours."

"On the busiest night of the week!" Weiss cried.

"Well, you did fine on your own just now, didn't'cha?"

"That was for two people! Saturday night will be hectic!"

"I could come by!" Weiss and Sun paused their small quarrel for a moment to look up. Ruby had spoken and continued with a grin. "I mean, I'm gonna be alone too that night if Yang's out on a date, so I might as well hang out here at my favorite place in town! So you won't be alone, Weiss!"

The white-haired girl scoffed.

"Excuse- H-How do you know my name?"

"Uhh, your name tag?" Ruby chuckled.

Weiss had forgotten about that.

"Oh. I see..."

"But yeah!" Ruby went on. "So I'll swing by this Saturday and come hang out here!"

"Cool beans!" Yang nodded. "I'll drop you off after I pick Blake up, then we'll all stop by here when we're finished and I'll take you home after that."

"Sounds like a plan!" Ruby smiled.

And just like that, Weiss had born witness to the foreshadowing of what her first time working alone would be like.

After a few more minutes, Yang had finished her ice cream, and the two sisters said goodbye to Sun and Weiss for today.

After that, every customer who asked Weiss for some of the toppings seemed so... average; none of them had a unique and tolerable pallet quite like Ruby's.

And she chuckled a bit to herself every time as she remembered how the girl had shyly asked for an extra strawberry.

Before she knew it, they had served their last customers, and the workday was over.

Having finished filing his papers, Weiss' father emerged from his office to help them close up the shop. Sun wished them a good night before hanging up his apron and heading out.

Weiss had just slipped off her own apron when her father addressed her.

"So how was your first day on the job?"

Weiss paused for a moment, recalling all the people she'd served, all the children she'd made smile by handing them their ice cream.

And of course, she remembered Blake, and even Sun, as well as Yang and Ruby.

After all, how could she ever forget the girl who'd put _every single_ topping available on top of her ice cream?

Weiss hung up her apron and shrugged, though she couldn't hold back the smile.

"It went quite well," she told him. "I look forward to coming back tomorrow."

Her father smiled before turning off the lights, locking the doors, and leading her out.

Weiss didn't tell him how eager she was to work Saturday night.

* * *

 **A/N: This started as a two-shot, but I eventually added a few more chapters on. So I hope everything flows well and makes sense in the future.** **Also, one of the few times I'm adding in other characters like Sun and Nep, so I hope I write the boys okay!**

 **If you enjoy my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm astounded how much you guys seemed to like chapter 1! I wasn't too confident about this fic (and I'm still really not), but I hope you'll be able to enjoy chapter 2 as well!**

 **Special thanks to dystopicone!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2.

Weiss continued driving with her father to work for the next four days.

She stayed the entire length of each work day, while Sun and Blake either took a morning or afternoon shift each time, though they each made sure Weiss didn't overexert herself with the longer work hours.

Her father didn't stay in his office every day, as sometimes he would leave to attend business elsewhere, but he always returned an hour or so before closing to help finish up the day's work and to bring Weiss home.

She hadn't been convinced that Ruby and Yang actually dropped by every single day to get their fill of ice cream, but by Friday, she'd seen enough proof to know it was fact.

Every day they came in around the same time in the afternoon, and every day Ruby asked for her "everything unlimited toppings".

On her second, third, and fourth days working there, Weiss had also been the one to prepare Ruby's ice cream for her, but on the fifth day – at present – she was tending to other customers at the time the sisters walked in.

That left Sun handling Ruby's ice cream, and Weiss couldn't help but glance over at him to make sure he was doing everything correctly. Within those three days, Weiss had learned there was a certain order to put everything so that it all fit into the cup and so that one topping didn't ruin the flavors of another.

 _Nuts first, then the sugar, cookies and gummy bears,_ _whipped cream,_ _then the candy, sprinkles, and fruit..._

She was pleased to see that Sun had gotten the order correct. But that was when she reminded herself that he'd been working here much longer than Weiss herself, and he had likely been serving Ruby for months, while Weiss had only been doing so for a few days.

She may have been a newbie at working here, but Weiss took pride in the fact that _she_ was the expert on Ruby's order in particular.

She proved as much on that fifth day when Sun had just finished placing the cherry and strawberry on Ruby's ice cream and placed it on the counter for her. Weiss saw Ruby's face light up, though she did look as though she wanted to say something.

But Sun cut off whatever it was with his loud voice to tell her the price of the treat.

Weiss quickly finished serving the father and son she'd been helping before hurrying over to Sun.

"No, you imbecile!" she hissed, reaching up to flick his forehead and make him yelp. "Don't you know she loves strawberries? She likes extra." Weiss whipped around and went to the strawberries, pulling out two more before returning to Ruby and placing them on top of her ice cream. "There. Two extras today because of this moron's forgetfulness."

Ruby's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped in delight, jumping up and down in her spot.

"Ohmigosh whaaa! Really? But Weiss, are you sure, I mean-"

"No extra charge," Weiss reassured her. "I'll pay for your toppings today."

Ruby even risked the safety of her beloved ice cream to lean across the counter and throw her arms around Weiss' neck while shrieking an excited squeal.

Once Yang had pried her sister off the white-haired girl, Weiss had promptly readjusted her clothes and apron before excusing herself to the restroom. There, she fixed her hair in front of the mirror, splashing a bit of water onto her face, which seemed to be extra warm.

"Well, _that_ was a bit unexpected," she muttered. She'd never been hugged so zealously before, let alone by a girl she'd only just met, and for such an odd reason. That wasn't to say she hadn't enjoyed it to some degree, but every soul in the room had witnessed it.

Weiss sighed as she turned off the water and pulled down a sheet of paper towel to dry her face with. She tossed her trash away and returned to the hallway where she paused at the mini fridge to grab a fresh bottle of water and take a few sips.

After sliding the bottle into her pocket, she returned to the counter to find Ruby and Yang hadn't moved or even taken their ice cream to their seats yet. Yang's hand was on her sister's shoulder, and Ruby's head was hanging. But when Weiss came back, the brunette looked up instantly, and with a concerned look on her face, began to babble.

"U-Um! Weiss, I'm really _really_ sorry I kinda just jumped on you like that all of a sudden, I was just really happy and excited and- and-"

"Just a moment!" Weiss put up her hand to stop the girl. "What's all this now?"

Yang answered in Ruby's stead.

"Well, it's just.. right after Ruby did that, you ran off without saying anything. So I scolded her and told her to apologize to you."

Ruby nodded and whimpered.

"I'm _really_ sorryyy..."

Weiss blinked, her eyes going from the youngest sister to the eldest and back again. The faintest of smiles formed on her lips.

"Oh, please. It's entirely fine. Don't apologize for it, you dolt."

"Really?" Ruby peeked hopefully up at her past the red tips of her bangs. "You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Just don't do those kind of things when you'll risk knocking over your ice cream."

Clearly, seeing that Weiss wasn't upset with her was all Ruby had needed. She brightened up instantly and grinned once more; Weiss preferred this expression on her face much more than any other.

"Okay! Thanks, Weiss!" With that, Ruby and Yang took their ice cream and headed to their seats. Weiss watched them go, but it wasn't more than a few seconds before she felt Sun approach from the side.

"That was awfully nice of you."

"What? You expected me to chew her out?"

"Well kinda. I mean, ya do it to me all the time, and I've only known you for five days."

"Only because you're a slacker."

"Hey, I only lounge around when we don't have customers!"

"Then you should use that free time to clean the place up a bit!"

Their little spat of bickering continued for a moment until the next group of customers came in, and the two workers immediately got their professional atmosphere going once more.

In just the five days Weiss had been working here, she'd gotten closer to Sun and Blake, particularly the latter. But she felt she'd also formed a bit of a bond with Yang and Ruby as well, being as they were the only two regulars who really did stop by on a daily basis and without fail.

Right when the two sisters had finished their ice cream and stood to leave, Blake entered for her shift. Weiss watched as she and Yang shared a quick kiss, and Ruby rolled her eyes and made faces beside the two of them.

Their public displays of affection only reminded Weiss that tomorrow, both of her co-workers would be leaving her for the last two hours of their work shifts to go on double dates with their respective others.

And Ruby had decided she would spend that time here at the shop with Weiss.

Weiss didn't know what to expect from their time 'alone' tomorrow, but it certainly wasn't anything like what was actually to come.

* * *

The next day, Weiss' father dropped her off at the shop and helped open the place up, but he only stayed for a few hours. He needed to help a friend of his with some work today, and so he left the shop around noontime.

Weiss and Sun had handled all the morning customers just fine, and about an hour after her father left, Blake came in dressed much nicer than usual in a blouse and skirt. Weiss thought it was a shame she needed to cover herself up with the boring blue apron.

Sun took his leave shortly afterward.

"Once I go grab Neptune we'll stop by here to get you and Yang!" he called with a wave as he walked out the door.

"Got it!" Blake responded.

With no customers to serve at the moment, Weiss casually went to Blake's side.

"Are you excited for this evening?"

Blake glanced at her quickly, and Weiss knew she'd seen a flush of pink on her cheeks.

"Actually, I kind of am," she replied. "Since I've started working here, we've been so low on staff that it's just been Sun and I to look after the place for a while. But now that you're here, we can enjoy a bit of time to ourselves. So thanks for being here, Weiss."

It was Weiss' turn to blush now as she quickly looked away.

"I'm glad my presence here can allow you some time off," she murmured. "If that's the case, then it's worth working the last two hours alone tonight."

"Oh, it won't be busy," Blake reassured her. "There's a reason the four of us chose tonight to go out. And it'll be good for you, too."

Weiss tilted her head to one side.

"And what would that be?" she wondered.

Blake smiled.

"Rain."

She nodded toward the windows, and Weiss followed her line of vision.

She hand't noticed until now that the sun hadn't been shining as brightly as usual. Grey clouds were moving in now, and when Weiss squinted, she could see faint lines of drizzles starting to fall. She looked back to Blake for elaboration on the matter. Her co-worker smiled.

"Not many people are going to be coming out for ice cream on a rainy evening, so we planned our double dates for tonight so you wouldn't be swamped without us. The four of us are going to see a movie, so it's perfect weather for all of us," she explained.

"I see..." Weiss trailed off. How considerate it was of them all to plan ahead so much, partially for her own sake.

She smiled to herself for a moment, until she head the doors open, letting in the last few customers before the rain could deter any more.

"Come on," Blake said, nudging her side lightly.

Weiss nodded and followed her to the counter to greet the people.

* * *

Only about a dozen or so other customers showed up for the next several hours.

The rain was pouring now, and Blake was sure to text Yang and remind her to bring umbrellas and coats.

When she had no customers to serve, Weiss busied herself with cleaning the tables and the gum ball machine. All the while, the leisurely music of the shop was all but drowned out by the hissing rain outside.

It was a little after 5:30 when Weiss heard the rushing patter of footsteps just before the doors burst open, letting in a wafting cold gust of wind and two shivering girls.

"Geez!" Yang shook herself off as she closed her umbrella. "It's really comin' down out there!"

"Eww, my shoes are all wet and soggy!" Ruby whined. But the second she saw Weiss, her face broke out into a smile. "Hi!"

Weiss returned the smile briefly before turning away.

"We have some fresh towels. I'll fetch them for you two." With that, Weiss scurried behind the counter, kneeling down to where the few shelves of cleaning supplies were located. "Usually we use them for drying off the tables after we've cleaned, but I washed them at home last night and we haven't used them yet since." She stood again, holding one towel in each hand as she leaned over the counter, giving one to each sister.

"Oh, wow!" Ruby grinned. "Thanks, Weiss!"

Blake then slipped from behind the counter and went to her sopping wet girlfriend.

"I'll help," she offered, ruffling the towel over the blonde's head.

"Aw, man!" Yang complained. "And I made sure my hair was nice for tonight, and now it's all messy!"

"Yang, we're going to a movie. No one's going to see you," Blake reminded her before leaning in. "But, just for the record, I think you look fine either way." She kissed Yang's cheek sweetly.

Yang hummed happily as she looped an arm around the small of Blake's back, pulling her in for a kiss on the lips this time.

Ruby rolled her eyes at Weiss playfully, sticking out her tongue as she continued drying her hair. Weiss chuckled a bit.

"Are you finished?"

"Yeah! Thanks again!" Ruby folded up the used towel and reached across the counter to hand it to her, and Weiss slid it back into place out of sight.

When she next stood up, a glance at the clock informed her it was nearly six.

Not a second later, a loud car horn honked from outside. Blake and Yang both looked up and sighed.

"That's the boys," Blake announced, slipping off her apron. When Yang got to see the pretty outfit her girlfriend was wearing, she 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed a bit.

"I'll be sure to keep ya warm 'n dry, 'kay Blakey?" She pulled the girl close to her side as she kissed her again. Then, she looked over to her sister. "We'll be back in no more than three hours, okay? If something happens or ya need me, just text me, sis."

"Got it. Have fun you guys!" Ruby waved happily after them as the pair headed for the door.

Yang opened up her umbrella once again, keeping Blake close to her.

"Let's make a run for it. On three... two... one!"

With that, they threw open the door and dashed outside into the rainstorm, leaving Ruby and Weiss behind.

There was a brief moment of silence that ensued where all that could be heard was the rain and the music. Ruby wasn't saying anything now that her sister was gone, and she was the sole customer in the shop. Weiss eased the girl's struggle and spoke up first.

"So are you planning on getting ice cream even today?" she wondered.

Ruby perked up instantly, her silver eyes bright and eager.

"Actually yeah! I don't know if you've noticed, Weiss, but ice cream tastes even better on wet days like this when the air is a little humid."

Weiss smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I should've known that would be your answer. So what size?"

"Mm, I think just a medium today!"

"Coming up."

Weiss went through the routine of preparing Ruby's ice cream for her, putting everything in exactly the correct order, and of course not neglecting to add an extra strawberry to top it all off.

Ruby clapped in delight as Weiss presented the finished product to her.

She paid and put her change in the tip jar, winking playfully at Weiss before turning around to take her seat.

When Ruby was with Yang, Weiss noticed the sisters would often sit in the middle of the shop if those tables were available. But now that she was alone, Ruby was retreating to the far corners.

Weiss felt her spirits drop a little as she watched Ruby walk - almost sadly - to begin eating her ice cream alone. She longed to do or say something, but couldn't think of what.

In the end, she was forced to watch Ruby sit down alone and start on her food, eating with much less vigor than usual.

Weiss couldn't stand it.

She bent down to grab her cleaning supplies as an excuse to leave the counter and move nearer to Ruby. She didn't have many things to talk about, but she knew starting a conversation sooner rather than later would be best for the both of them.

"So..." Weiss cleared her throat as she began cleaning the table beside Ruby's. "What's that game you're always playing in here?"

Ruby perked up when she was addressed.

"Oh that? It's a handheld game! You've got a team of monsters and you fight other people! It's really neat!" she explained.

"I see," Weiss nodded. "That sounds like fun."

"It really is!"

The mood had successfully been lightened, and Ruby continued to eat now with a bit of a smile on her face. Weiss finished cleaning the table before long and watched her for a moment.

"How is it? Does it taste as good as it would on a hotter day?"

Ruby swallowed her current mouthful and made a contemplative expression.

"Mm, it's more satisfying on a hot day. But like I said before, it soothes your throat on humid, icky days like today!"

Weiss nodded, moving over to the next table, but still sticking close to Ruby's area.

A few more minutes passed, and she looked up again when she noticed Ruby lifting up her second strawberry.

Weiss had picked up on the girl's eating habits over the past few days; Ruby always ate one of the strawberries Weiss gave her right away, and saved the other for when she was finished with her ice cream.

But right now, there was still about half of her cup left.

Weiss' smile faded a little.

"Are you finished already?"

She hadn't known a time when Ruby couldn't finish her ice cream, especially when it was only a medium-sized cup.

Ruby looked up at her, the strawberry still in between her fingers. She chuckled a little sheepishly as she popped the fruit into her mouth.

"Aha yeah, I think so..." She finished chewing and swallowed. "Sorry for wasting it. But..." She took a deep breath, and Weiss noticed the girl's feet fidgeting. Ruby grimaced as she continued. "I guess I'm just kinda nervous..." she confessed.

"Nervous?" Weiss parroted the word and tilted her head to one side. She'd thought she was the only one.

But she could instantly tell her own jitters were different from Ruby's; the brunette's seemed more troubled than excited.

Weiss herself was nervous about being alone here with the girl, but she could tell something else was troubling Ruby. Weiss wanted to do her best to understand, and help if she could.

"Why would you be nervous?" she wondered.

Ruby gave another little laugh, thin and wavering.

"It's just... well this is actually the first time Yang's ever really left me alone somewhere. I know that sounds weird 'cause I'm already sixteen and all, but... we've always gone places together. Always. So this is a little scary for me..." But then she straightened up quickly, her eyes going wide. "N-Not to say that _you're_ scary, Weiss! I didn't mean you! I-I meant like-"

"Calm down," Weiss soothed. "I understand what you mean. This is the first time I've been left alone here as well. Blake and Sun are both gone, and my father isn't coming back for at least another hour or so. To tell the truth, I've been rather nervous all day myself."

Ruby finally seemed to relax a little bit.

"Me too..."

"Well then," Weiss offered a smile. "I guess we're both lucky that we're not completely alone, right?"

Ruby's lips were starting to curl up into a wide grin again.

"Yeah, you're right! I'm really glad you're here with me, Weiss!"

"And even if your sister's late to come pick you up, I'll stay here with you even after the shop closes. So don't worry, alright?"

"Really?" Ruby's face wobbled a little bit, like she was about to cry from relief. "Oh wow, gosh thank you _so_ much, Weiss."

"It's fine."

After that, Ruby stood to throw away her trash, and Weiss was heading back to put away her cleaning supplies. But before Ruby could turn around to head back to her lonely table, Weiss cleared her throat again.

"Why don't you sit a little closer to the counter? You won't feel that dreadful draft coming in through the door."

Ruby's eyes watered again, and she nodded quickly before taking a new seat, closer to Weiss.

Feeling accomplished, the white-haired girl put her things away and returned to her post. She leaned on her elbows over the marble counter, looking across the several feet separating Ruby and herself. The brunette had taken out her handheld game and was starting to play.

Past the music and the rain, Weiss spoke softly to her, asking questions about her game, keeping the mood easygoing for the both of them.

And all the while, Ruby replied and talked to her, thankful for the opportunity to speak rather than sit in silence.

At one point, Weiss even got so invested in hearing about the game that she suggested a strategy for Ruby to try out based on what she knew. Ruby gave her suggestion a try and ended up winning her battle, after which she squealed aloud and thanked Weiss profusely.

Half an hour passed in this manner, with no other customers entering - just the two of them talking comfortably.

Weiss was really enjoying herself, and there wasn't an ounce of anxiety to be found between either of them.

At least for that half hour.

Weiss had just excused herself to the employee's restroom, going about her usual routine of splashing cool water onto her face; despite the air conditioning in the place, she never minded the temperature of the tap water.

From there, she heard the chimes of the doors opening, for the only time that evening since Ruby had entered.

She groaned just a little bit to herself in thinking how hers and Ruby's time alone together was temporarily spoiled now, but nonetheless dried her hands and hurried back out to the shop.

She didn't like what she saw, not one bit.

A group of three had entered the shop, two boys and a girl, all laughing loudly.

Normally, Weiss wouldn't mind the merriment of her customers.

Only these three were laughing _at Ruby_.

"Aww, what'cha playin' kiddo?" one of the boys crooned, standing directly over Ruby's shoulder. Weiss saw her jump, clutching her game to her chest.

"U-Uhm-"

"Hey," the other boy cut Ruby off. "Instead of playin' dumb games, why don't ya come play with us for a while? We got a nice place away from the rain. We play a lotta games there, too."

"Games for girls too," the female put in. "I think you'd have a good time. I know I do."

Ruby was surrounded by the three of them, sinking further into her seat by the second.

"U-Um-"

" _Excuse_ me!" Weiss said loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Her stern eyes passed over the three newcomers, all probably a bit older than herself. She was sure to keep her voice loud, but professional. "Welcome to Schnee's Ice Cream. May I help you three?"

"Ice cream? In this weather?" the first boy scoffed. "Nah. We're just dropping in 'cause we saw this little cutie here." His eyes flashed to Ruby, then back to Weiss. "Hey, you're not bad lookin' yourself. Wanna come with us too? Ditch the shift and have a little fun at the club with us!"

"Not interested," Weiss said curtly.

They were still swarming around Ruby, and the younger girl was clearly petrified.

Weiss couldn't work effectively in this situation from behind the counter. She slipped around the side and walked directly up to the group.

One of the boys had his hand on Ruby's shoulder. It infuriated Weiss.

The taller girl with the red lipstick looked at Weiss, mouth curling into a smile.

"Changed your mind, cutie? Let's all of us head on over. Drinks on us."

Weiss ignored her, stepping between Ruby and the boy who had touched her, effectively swatting his hand away.

"I'm afraid if you won't be ordering, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. You're causing a disturbance here."

"The hell'd you say?" he growled. "Only _disturbance_ I see here is you, honey. If you're not gonna join us, then leave us and little red here alone. She's gonna come with us, right?" He pushed Weiss aside and grabbed a fistful of Ruby's sweatshirt in an effort to drag her to her feet. Ruby yelped, trying to wriggle free from his grasp.

"N-No! I don't wanna!"

"Hey!" Weiss all but snarled as she interjected once more. "Did she say you could touch her?" She grabbed the boy's arm and dug her nails in a bit until he howled and released Ruby. Weiss glared at the other two as well, taking a threatening step toward the troublesome group. "Now I'll ask you all one more time to please _leave_."

"Goddamn..." The first boy growled, looking over his arm where Weiss had grabbed him. "Crazy bitch! I'm frikkin' bleeding!"

Weiss felt a pang of fear pass through her heart when she saw the rage in his eyes. Her legs might've been shaking a little, but she kept herself in front of Ruby. She fixed an icy glare on him in particular.

"Maybe next time you won't go grabbing people without their consent," she snapped.

"Hey, shut it, girly."

"Not until you're out of my shop."

She stood her ground, and it seemed the boy's companions were no longer so opposed to leaving.

"C'mon, let's book it," the girl encouraged him. But he shook her off like an enraged bull.

"No! This bitch is gonna pay!" He gave a sudden rush forward, balling his hands into fists. Weiss was petrified as he actually came at her, managing to steal one glance behind her to make sure Ruby wasn't in his line of fire.

Then, the next second was searing pain as rough knuckles collided with her chest.

The impact easily unbalanced her, sending her tumbling backward and crashing into one of the tables as the air flew from her lungs. As her back and head smashed against the collapsed table, Weiss heard Ruby scream her name.

Immediately afterward were the sounds of the other three cursing and yelling at one another to run, followed by rushing footsteps, and then the gust of air as the door closed behind them.

Ruby crouched behind one of the chairs, terrified by what she'd just witnessed. But even more terrified by what she was looking at now.

"Weiss!"

The other girl was lying beside the table she'd been so ruthlessly shoved into, moaning in pain. Ruby forced herself to move, the fear for herself replaced by fear for her friend now as she jumped over the chairs between them. She fell to her knees beside Weiss, but was scared to touch her.

"H-Hey, Weiss? Weiss, can you hear me? Oh god, I-I- should I call 9-1-1?" She fished into her hoodie's pocket with fumbling fingers, but ended up dropping her cell phone onto the floor because she was shaking so much. "Oh my god I-I can't believe that just... that just h-happened... Weiss?"

Ruby couldn't bear to leave her lying on the ground like that any longer. Gently, she slipped her arms beneath Weiss and helped her sit up. Weiss was breathing shallowly, and coughed multiple times as Ruby supported her. She moaned again, her head hanging forward as she gasped breathlessly.

Ruby didn't know what to do – she was scared Weiss might have broken a bone or something in her nasty fall. She swallowed hard, doing her best to keep her voice level.

"Weiss? Wh-Where does it hurt? What can I do? Should I call an ambulance? D-Do you have asthma or something, c-can you breathe alright?"

She waited anxiously as the girl gasped weakly in her arms. But after a moment, Weiss managed to shake her head, coughing once more before she spoke.

"It's fine... just winded..." she rasped. But she couldn't deny the aching throb in the back of her head from where she'd hit the table, and her chest was numb from the punch. She felt like she'd been stunned, and she slumped a bit into Ruby's chest. "F-Fridge..." she wheezed. "Th-There's ice..."

Ruby stiffened instantly when she realized there was something she could do.

"O-Okay! Just hold on a sec. Don't move, okay?"

Carefully, she leaned Weiss back against the fallen table, making sure she didn't slump over again. Ruby grabbed her cell phone and shoved it back into her pocket before she scrambled to her feet, only to have them give out on her from shaking too much. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, reminding herself that Weiss needed her now. She tried again, using one of the chairs for support as she found her balance.

Once she was on her feet, she hurried over to the counter, slipping behind it without a second thought. She'd been to the shop enough times and seen that Blake or Sun usually had bottles of water or juice, which meant-

She paused when she peeked down the small hallway, having found what Weiss had mentioned. A mini fridge sat on the floor by a nearby outlet, and Ruby quickly crouched down to open it. There were two small bags of ice on the top shelf, and she grabbed one and a bottle of water before standing again. She spotted the very same towel Weiss had lent her before and grabbed that too, wrapping the ice in it so it wouldn't be too painfully cold to the touch.

Then she rushed back out to the shop, hurrying to Weiss and kneeling down next to her.

Leaving the water bottle on the floor for now, she gingerly put her arm around Weiss' back again, holding the bag of ice to the back of her head. She felt a strong shiver run through the other girl's body, but Weiss sighed a little as the throbbing pain was stifled a bit.

Ruby was still shaking a little, but she was now focused on her task of helping Weiss, and her eyes narrowed in concentration.

She held the ice pack to Weiss' head for a few minutes, moving it down to the back of her neck and her shoulders so any one spot wouldn't get too cold.

After a moment, she continued supporting Weiss as she switched the ice to her other hand and pressed it against Weiss' collar. Ruby felt her shudder again, and Weiss gasped. Ruby bit her lip.

"S-Sorry! Sorry... just take it easy, okay?"

Weiss managed to crack her mist-blue eyes open a bit, making a small sound of agreement.

Ruby slowly untied Weiss' apron and slid if off of her, worried the tied strings were making it more difficult for her to breathe. She could feel Weiss' chest heaving, and her heart was still thumping quickly. Ruby tried to keep herself calm for both their sakes.

A few more minutes passed, and she moved the ice back to Weiss' head. By then, Weiss seemed to have gotten her breath back, and she could finally open her eyes all the way.

"Don't move yet," Ruby cautioned her. "I-I don't know if you have a concussion."

Weiss let out a long breath, content to find the pain in her chest had subsided, and the ice was doing wonders for her head and back as well.

"It's not that bad," she murmured. "Just a bit... of a headache."

"Are you sure? That must've _really_ hurt..."

"It did," Weiss grunted. "But I'll be fine... Are _you_ alright?"

"M-Me?" Ruby piped. "Yeah, I'm fine! Only thanks to you!"

"I'm glad they didn't hurt you," Weiss sighed. "They were awful. You must've been frightened."

"...Not nearly as much as I was when he hit you," Ruby confessed. "That was really scary. I'm glad you're okay."

"As am I."

Ruby continued to hold her up for several more minutes, and the rain outside had started to slow a bit. Ruby opened the bottle of water and had Weiss drink a little.

Only when Weiss felt she could stand did she ask Ruby to let her.

"Okay," Ruby nodded. "Just hang onto me. Go slow."

She pulled Weiss' arm across her shoulders and slipped her arm around the girl's back. Ruby braced herself and stood, making sure to balance Weiss' weight as well. They both made it to their feet without a hitch, and once Ruby was convinced Weiss could stand on her own, she let her go.

Together, they fixed the fallen table before Ruby went back to Weiss' side. The older girl was still holding the ice to her head, but other than that and a few coughs here and there, she seemed to be fine now.

Ruby got close to her, slipping an arm around her waist and letting Weiss lean a bit onto her side as the brunette found her voice once more.

"Weiss...?"

The white-haired girl glanced to her side.

"What is it?"

She watched as Ruby made circles on the floor with the tip of her shoe again, her bashful habit.

"Um..." Ruby looked up, silver meeting briefly with blue. "Thank you... for doing that," she said at last. "I was really scared of them, and I didn't know what to do. I was just gonna start crying. But you didn't think twice about stepping in to fend them off. You saved me, and even got hurt because of it. I don't know what else to say..."

Weiss was silent for a moment, sifting through her thoughts, choosing her next words carefully.

"Something tells me... I might not have done the same thing for just any customer, at least not to that extent. I'm just glad you're alright."

She felt Ruby's grip around the small of her back tighten.

"Thanks, Weiss," she repeated. "Can I... n-no never mind."

"What is it? You might as well say it," Weiss shrugged.

Ruby chewed the inside of her cheek a little before looking to her side, seeking Weiss' eyes.

Once she'd found them, she whispered softly.

"C-Can I thank you... with a kiss?"

Weiss' eyes went wide.

It was too fantastical, for all of this to be happening on only her fifth day on the job, only her fifth day of knowing Ruby.

But who was she to deny this when it would clearly benefit the both of them?

She didn't speak her reply, but simply nodded, cheeks turning pink as she turned her head and closed her eyes.

Ruby squeaked in excitement, her heart soaring; she couldn't believe her crush of only five days was bearing fruit so soon.

Which meant Weiss didn't dislike her either.

Ruby leaned forward, but changed her mind at the very last second. She kissed Weiss' cheek softly, appreciatively, and giggled a little.

Weiss reopened her eyes, pouting slightly.

"Well, that was a bit anticlimactic," she grunted. "But... still very nice."

Ruby smiled.

"We can save the other kisses for another day! Maybe tomorrow?"

Weiss couldn't believe this. But she smiled and nodded once.

"Tomorrow then."

Ruby grinned brightly.

"It's a promise!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry to always incorporate drama of some sort in these, but it helps the relationships blossom. Originally, this fic was just going to be a two-shot and end here, but I decided to keep adding a few more! So I'll see you all again next week!**

 **Please support me on as Kiria Alice if you're interested!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**As I said, originally chapters 3 and up didn't exist for this fic. But I planned out in advance what I wanted to happen later on in this AU, so I hope it works well for you and you can enjoy!**

 **A special thanks to the-british-pink-cat!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3.

After Weiss and Ruby had cleaned up the shop and put things back in order, it was another half hour or so of sitting alone together and talking softly before Weiss' father had returned.

Upon seeing his daughter pressing an ice pack to her neck, he worriedly demanded to know what had happened. Weiss explained, and all the while Ruby put in little comments about how heroic Weiss had been in defending her.

Weiss' father was outraged at the rudeness of his customers, and frantic about Weiss' wellbeing, but she reassured him she didn't require medical attention. Leaving her temporarily in Ruby's care, he went back to his office and reviewed the security cameras from that night, where he got clear views of the perpetrators and what they had done to his daughter.

Blake, Sun, and their respective dates returned not long afterward, running into the shop from the rain to find the peculiar scene of only the two girls sitting at one of the tables together.

When Ruby and Weiss explained to them what had happened, the reactions were wildly different.

Sun and Neptune growled curses and outrage under their breaths, Blake fretfully looked the girls over and asked if they were alright, while Yang did a combination of those things. The blonde swore to "hunt down" whomever had done this, despite Weiss' reassurances that her father was handling things in a more professional manner.

Once Weiss had insisted she no longer required the ice pack, Blake had put it away for her. After that, they all engaged in a group hug of sorts before everyone had gone their separate ways.

The boys went back to their car together with Yang and Ruby in tow to drive them home. Ruby looked back over her shoulder to catch Weiss' eye one last time, her cheeks slightly flushed and a shy smile on her lips.

Weiss gave her a small nod, silent confirmation of their secret promise of "tomorrow".

Blake stayed with Weiss until her father emerged from his office, looking rather upset. Weiss stood and went to him, hugging him softly and reassuring him yet again that she was fine. He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I saw what you did," he murmured. "I was very worried to see you do something that could have been so dangerous like that. But I'm also very proud of you."

"I'm sorry, Papa," she said. "I know I... should've called for help or something, but... they were harassing her and I couldn't wait that long."

"I understand. I'm just glad you're alright."

Once they parted, Blake helped Weiss slip out of her apron and hung it up for her. She, too, hugged Weiss gently before they parted at the door.

"Make sure you take tomorrow off if you're hurt or something," she cautioned.

"I'm fine," Weiss smiled. "But thank you for your concern."

Blake went out into the rain to her car, and after turning all the lights off and closing the shop, Weiss and her father did the same.

The drive home was a little high-strung with tension in the air, but the music playing on the radio served to ease both of their minds. Weiss was hardly thinking about the troublesome teenagers anymore anyway.

All that was on her mind now were the feeling Ruby's soft lips on her cheek, her coy little voice, and their promise of "tomorrow."

* * *

Tomorrow indeed.

Weiss woke early, feeling a little sore, her side still aching from where she'd hit the table yesterday. But the headache had been the worst of it all, and that seemed to have faded.

She crawled out of bed and stumbled to her dresser, grabbing a fresh changed of clothes before heading out into the hallway, bound for the bathroom. Once she was ready, she went down to the kitchen to prepare herself a bagel.

Her father was already awake and eating at the table, and as soon as he returned her "good morning", he asked her how she was feeling.

"Like I said, Papa. I'm fine. I can go to work today."

After all, she had made a promise.

So he drove her in as per usual, and together they opened the shop, just minutes before Blake arrived. The first thing out of the dark-haired girl's mouth was - naturally - concern for her co-worker.

"How are you feeling?"

"Just fine," Weiss replied with a smile.

"That's a relief." Blake smiled and pulled her into another light embrace.

They put on their aprons and prepared for the day. It was sure to be a humid one after yesterday's rain, and it was a Sunday, which meant they were expecting an influx of customers.

The first group of people trickled in through the doors within the first hour of them being opened.

Weiss and Blake took orders in turn, grabbing cups and cones and spoons before carving out each desired amount of ice cream from the containers. They sprinkled on the desired toppings and went about the usual motions like clockwork, handing out orders and accepting the payments at the register.

But every time the bells rung and the doors opened, Weiss would look up with such sharpness that even Blake started to notice.

When they got a quiet moment alone, the dark-haired girl took Weiss' arm gently to get her attention.

"Weiss, are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Of course! What makes you ask?" She looked up into those concerned golden eyes with only confusion in her own.

Blake bit her lip for a second before going on.

"It's just... you seem... distracted, I guess."

"Distracted? Blake, I assure you, I'm perfectly focused on my work. I haven't missed an order yet!"

"I know," she said. "But it's not the work I'm worried about. Whenever we get new customers and the door opens, you get startled and look over your shoulder." Blake was silent for a moment, maintaining eye contact with the girl before lowering her voice a bit more. "You're worried about those guys coming back again to cause trouble, aren't you?" she guessed. "You don't have to be so on-edge about it. I don't think they'll come back, but even if they did, things would be different this time. I'm here, and your father's in his office. They won't hurt you again, Weiss."

All throughout Blake's small discourse, Weiss stared up at her, entirely puzzled.

Once silence ensued again, Weiss shook her head and put a hand up.

"Hold on now," she said. "First of all, I'm _terribly_ flattered by your concern, Blake. I really am. In fact, I fear you're worrying yourself for nothing. Not a thought about those hooligans from yesterday has crossed my mind in hours, you know. I'm not worried about them one bit."

Blake blinked, clearly surprised, but now she was the one who was confused.

"Then why do you seem so..."

"Distracted?" Weiss repeated for her. She sighed a little, already knowing exactly what the reason was.

She knew she didn't have much of a choice in telling her co-worker; and with Blake's girlfriend being Ruby's sister, and Ruby herself being a regular at the shop, Blake was bound to find out sooner or later.

Weiss hesitated in telling her though, merely because she herself was bashful about doing so.

Sensing Weiss' timidness on whatever topic she had in mind, Blake reached out to pat the girl's arm gently, encouragingly.

With another deep breath, Weiss made her feelings known.

"I'm constantly looking to the door because... Well... it's because of Yang's sister. Ruby," she confessed at last.

Blake was still puzzled.

"Ruby? What about her? Are you worried about her? Did they hurt her, too?"

"No, no, no!" Weiss tutted. "Heavens, Blake, calm down before you put yourself in a tizzy and give yourself a scare!" Just to reassure that she hadn't meant to be harsh, Weiss reached up a hand and placed it over the one on her arm, rubbing Blake's knuckles softly. "It's nothing _bad_ about Ruby... Quite the opposite, in fact..."

The way she trailed off, the way she failed to meet Blake's eyes, the way she inhaled a shaky little breath...

 _Now_ Blake understood.

She couldn't stop herself from letting out a small "oh" as her eyes went wide and sparked with clarity.

Weiss' cheeks were pink like the strawberry ice cream now as she mumbled.

"You... understand now?"

Blake nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I get it, Weiss." She smiled. "I think that's really sweet. You two would make a perfect couple."

"D-Don't go saying things like that so suddenly!" Weiss cried, though not loud enough for the customers to hear. Flustered, she slipped away from Blake's touch and turned her back, muttering under her breath. "She's... really piqued my interest. That's all..."

It was no difficult feat to realize she was only kidding herself, and Blake knew as much as well. Blake was simply glad to know Weiss wasn't here at work now paranoid about people coming in to hurt her.

Blake reached out to the smaller girl, patting a soft hand on her back.

"Weiss, don't be so nervous about it. You'll be fine. Trust me."

Weiss put a hand to her face and sighed. Her heart had started to thump many minutes ago from thoughts of Ruby, and it wasn't slowing down now.

Luckily, Blake had means of calming her down and boosting her confidence.

"You know," she said. "In the few days you and Ruby have known each other, Yang's told me some things about her."

Curious, Weiss let her hand fall away from her face, and she turned back around, looking up at Blake past her bangs, interest in her blue eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Blake smiled.

"I mean, Yang's told me how Ruby's been acting when they leave the shop and go home together. She told me about the first day you were working and how Ruby mumbled 'the new girl is really cute.' She told me about all the days after that when Ruby would always remind Yang 'Weiss gave me an extra strawberry.' And last night, Yang texted me saying that Ruby had told her she was having trouble sleeping because she was thinking about you."

From the first little story to the last, Weiss had been blushing redder and redder all the while, until she looked not unlike the cherries in their toppings bar.

Blake managed to hold back a chuckle, though the smile remained clear on her face. Discussing Ruby's and Weiss' blossoming interest in each other had really been a hobby between Yang and herself over the past few weeks. So secretly, she was relieved and rooting for Weiss.

The smaller girl struggled to find words, and Blake thought it was cute how she tried to sound indifferent when she was blushing so hard.

"Well?" Weiss asked stiffly. "What do you mean she was 'thinking about me'? Elaborate."

Blake let out the little chuckle and went on.

"Well, Yang was texting me last night saying Ruby had come into her room. She was complaining that she couldn't sleep because she kept tossing and turning and thinking about you." Here, Blake's voice softened a little. "She said Ruby couldn't stop worrying about you because she kept remembering how those kids had hurt you. And also because of 'something else'. Yang and I were texting back and forth about you two for an hour."

Weiss whipped around instantly, refusing to show Blake her face any longer.

"W-Why you two..."

And yet, her chest was tingling warmly, touched at the supposed concern Ruby had been showing for her. And she'd been thinking about Weiss for a while as well...

"I-I'll be right back..."

Stammering as much, Weiss slipped away from Blake and hurried into the employee bathroom. She pulled off some paper towels from the dispenser and ran them under cool water before pressing them onto her heated cheeks. Weiss stayed like that for a moment, catching her breath and making an effort to slow her pulse.

"How maddening..." she muttered.

When she pulled the paper towel away, she gazed at her reflection, her face still as pink as the scar over her left eye. She sighed again.

"I should've asked for her number last night..."

Perhaps she'd manage it today.

Tossing the paper towel into the trash, Weiss sucked in a deep breath before returning to the counter.

Their next wave of customers came in at noon, and Blake kept watch of Weiss out of the corner of her eye. Now that she knew the girl was jumping at every ring of the bell due to excitement rather than fear, Blake was able to enjoy herself much more.

But Ruby and Yang didn't stop by during the midday rush, so all the while, she watched Weiss get progressively more jittery. Her hands would shake a little when she was pouring toppings onto the ice cream, and the smile she'd present to the customers was clearly forced, but still convincing to those who didn't know her as well as Blake did.

Weiss was just fetching a small mop to clean up a few nuts and sprinkles from the floor – the results of her most recent nervousness. That was when Blake felt a vibration in her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Ah..."

Blake's voice alerted Weiss just as she'd finished cleaning. She went to her coworker and spoke levelly despite the butterflies in her stomach.

"What is it?"

Blake frowned.

"Ruby and Yang probably can't stop by today," she said. "Their parents ended up taking them to see family, so they probably won't be back before we close." She looked up, wincing at the look of utter dejection on Weiss' face.

"Oh..." she mumbled. "I see."

Blake chewed her lip again.

"But they'll stop by again tomorrow for sure, okay?"

Weiss nodded.

"Right." Her shoulders slumped, but she turned away. "Well, we've still got work to do. Can't be fretting over those two. Even though this was beyond her control, I can scold Ruby tomorrow for breaking her promise."

Blake smiled a little sadly when she realized Weiss was rambling to herself in order to verbally sort out her conflicting emotions.

Though she knew Weiss was probably hurting a little right now, Blake also knew for a fact that all of this would be resolved tomorrow happily. She hoped she'd be here at the time to see it.

Blake lingered for another hour, helping Weiss take care of the last of the lunch crowd. She insisted Weiss take a short break after that, and just as the white-haired girl had retreated to the back room, Sun walked in through the doors.

"Hey, Blake!" he said with a wave. "How's it goin'? Everything okay after yesterday?"

"Fine," she nodded. "But come here..." She briefed him on Weiss' situation and the fact that Ruby and Yang wouldn't be stopping by today. "Just... don't tease her about it, alright? Unless you want to make her cry and then you'll have to answer to Yang and myself."

"Alright, alright geez!" he whined. "I'm not gonna tease her, alright? Don't get your bow in a knot..."

She snorted, but said nothing more to him before removing her apron and clocking out.

Weiss emerged just in time to see her off, and Blake reassured her that everything would be fine.

And Weiss knew it would. She knew full-well that Ruby's inability to get here today was out of her control.

It was just the notion of breaking their 'promise' that got to her a bit.

Weiss had never made one before, not even with her own sister. This was her first, and she'd just wanted to see it through.

But it was out of her hands and Ruby's too.

So she greeted Sun with a smile before going back to the counter to tend to her customers.

* * *

Ruby protested the second her parents informed her they were going to their cousins' house today.

After what had happened with Weiss yesterday evening, Ruby had been a mess all night long, even going so far as to stumble into Yang's room to confess her troubles, and end up cuddling in her big sister's bed until she fell asleep.

She'd been eager and hyper all morning to go to Schnee's Ice Cream again today to see Weiss, and Yang had even told her "Calm down! We'll get there!"

So for her parents to have unintentionally thwarted her plans... Ruby was a little upset.

Presently, she sat in the back seat of the car with her sister. She'd told her parents everything, but they'd only apologized and told her they needed to do this today.

Ruby was still pouting, her feet shuffling about and her hands fidgety and longing to be able to play her handheld game. She looked to Yang for the umpteenth time and sighed.

"It's just... I _promised_ her, Yang. I promised Weiss I'd see her again today..."

The blonde cast a sympathetic look her way.

"I know you did, sis. But I told Blake everything and asked her to tell Weiss. I think she'll understand."

Ruby said nothing, merely sighed and sunk further back into her seat.

For the entire car ride, she wore a sour expression, and only traded it for an attempted smile when they arrived and greeted their family.

Ruby played with her younger cousins for a while, indulging herself in their video games and watching funny videos with them.

But all the while, she just felt guilty about Weiss. Her brain was constantly bringing her back to yesterday - to the kiss she'd given her, to how soft and smooth Weiss' cheek had felt.

And she kept thinking about those things Weiss had said, about how she probably would not having felt compelled to do such a bold thing for just _any_ customer.

She'd made Ruby feel undoubtedly special, and Ruby hoped she'd successfully let Weiss know that she was special to her, too.

The hours passed, and Ruby continuously glanced at the clock, realizing each time that she had fewer and fewer chances of seeing Weiss today.

When it was time to leave, she said goodbye to her cousins, aunt, and uncle, and followed Yang and her parents back to the car. Ruby glanced at the clock again – 7:38PM. The ice cream shop would be preparing to close by now.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat; she'd just have to make it up to Weiss tomorrow somehow.

Ruby dozed to the music playing on the radio, the slight motion of the car lulling her to relax a little.

When she felt Yang nudging her shoulder, she was confused, though; it felt like they'd gotten home much too quickly. Ruby rubbed her eyes and blinked them open, waiting until her bleary vision focused as she looked to her elder sister.

"Yang? We're home already?"

The blonde grinned and shook her head.

"Not quite..." She nodded to the window.

Ruby turned and looked behind herself, finding the car was just pulling into the parking lot of Schnee's Ice Cream. The large blue-and-white sign was still lit up, indicating they were still open.

Ruby straightened up instantly with a squeal, unbuckling her seatbelt as she threw herself forward to hug her father's shoulders around the seat.

"Thank you!" she cried, moving to kiss her mother's cheek. "Thank you, thank yooouu!"

"Of course dear," her mother said. "You made a promise, after all."

"Yeah!" Ruby beamed. "Yeah, I did! And I'm gonna keep it!" She made a move to open her door, but Yang grabbed her wrist with a nervous chuckle.

"Alright, but wait till the car stops movin', okay?"

It was only a few seconds longer, and the second they had stopped, Ruby burst out of the car and ran for the doors of the shop. The familiar little bells rung as the doors were pushed open, and Ruby looked around quickly to find the place vacant.

Except for one lonely girl cleaning tables.

"Weiss!"

The white-haired girl had been startled by the sudden sound of the doors, but the second she heard her name in that voice-

She looked up quickly, letting out a small gasp of surprise when she saw the girl dressed in red and black scurrying over to her.

"Ruby?"

Said girl didn't stop until she'd reached Weiss and hugged her tightly.

"Yeah!" she squealed, nuzzling into Weiss' shoulder.

"B-But I thought you wouldn't be able to make it today..."

Not that she was complaining.

Ruby giggled.

"But I _did!_ I made it, Weiss! Just like I promised!"

Weiss had just managed to put down the roll of paper towels she'd been holding in order to softly return Ruby's tighter hug.

"You know," Weiss murmured. "I understand that you were busy. You didn't have to..."

"Of course I did!" Ruby said. "Because I made a promise!"

"Well, I'm very glad you could make it," the older girl murmured.

Weiss had felt the hug would be appropriate in being just a few seconds long, and she released Ruby shortly afterward.

But the brunette interpreted it differently. She remembered Weiss had gotten hurt a little yesterday, and quickly stepped back to let her go.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "You're not hurt, are you? From yesterday, I mean? I know your head hurt a lot and probably your back too from when you hit the table and I probably just hurt it more and I'm sorry!"

"Calm down," Weiss soothed her. "I'm not hurt at all. In fact..." Her blue eyes flashed to the wall, painted with bright colors, before returning to Ruby's gaze. "In fact, it was rather nice... just now..."

It took Ruby a moment to realize what she meant, but the second it clicked, she blushed a little.

"Oh! Well then, to make it up to you for making you wait today, then..." She made a move to step close to Weiss once more, biting her bottom lip shyly.

But before they could come together again, the office door behind the counter opened.

Ruby jumped back and straightened up as Weiss' father emerged. She knew he ran the ice cream shop, but she didn't know how he'd feel about a customer hugging his daughter like that.

Weiss turned around as he stepped out, looking surprised to find Ruby here.

"Last customer of the day?" he asked curiously.

"Not quite," Weiss answered as he came around the counter to stand beside her. "Papa, I'm sure you know Ruby. She's a regular who always gets the unlimited toppings."

"Oh yes, of course!" he said with a grin. "I've served you many times myself, young lady."

"Yeah!" Ruby chirped with a smile. "I-I don't think I've ever gotten the chance to tell you sir, but your ice cream is the best ever in the whole wide world. And even if we had a _billion_ other ice cream shops in town, I'd only ever come to yours!"

Weiss and her father both shared an amused look before laughing.

"A loyal customer through and through!" the man said.

"She's so precious..." Weiss mumbled to herself before raising her voice again. "But anyway, Papa. She's the one who helped me yesterday. If not for her, I would've had a nasty migraine all day today, I'm certain."

"I see..." Her father nodded, his countenance taking on slightly more serious features now. "So this was the young lady those people were harassing yesterday?"

"Yes," Weiss replied. "And she helped me afterward."

All the while as they spoke, Ruby stood stiffly, nervous for one reason or another. Weiss and her father exchanged a few more words in private before the man stepped forward.

"Ruby, is it?" he asked.

"Y-Yessir!" she said, giving a salute.

He laughed.

"Don't be so formal! Now then..." Reaching into his pocket, he extracted three small slips of paper. "Please accept these as a token of my appreciation for helping Weiss yesterday, and as apology for such an awful thing happening to you in my own shop. I'm appalled, but I hope you will accept these."

Ruby opened her hand, and he placed the small slips of paper into her palm. Curiously, Ruby's eyes went down to travel over the blue text on the papers, her silver eyes lighting up instantly.

They were coupons for 3 free ice cream servings at the shop.

Ruby's jaw dropped as she gasped out loud, her eyes going wide as she looked up to Weiss and then her father.

"R-Really?!" she gaped. "Y-You're giving these to me?"

"It's the very least I could do for all your trouble," the man said.

Ruby couldn't hold herself back.

"Eeeeeeek! Ohmygosh thank you thank you thank yoooouu, Mr. Schnee! This is the best day ever!" Unable to contain her excitement, she threw her arms around him zealously. Weiss watched as her father laughed again and patted Ruby's back.

"Well, I'm glad you like them," he said as the girl stepped back. "Now then, I've just got to wrap up a few things in the office, and then we'll be closing up shop. But if you can, Ruby, please wait here with Weiss until I return."

"Y-Yeah! Sure, of course!" Ruby saluted again, earning another chuckle from the man. He gave a small nod to Weiss before going back behind the counter and disappearing behind the office door.

Weiss turned her full attention back to Ruby, smiling a little.

"I've never seen him laugh so many times within the course of three minutes!"

"Ahaha~" Ruby scratched her head bashfully before carefully placing the coupons into her shirt pocket and zipping it up. Her heart was thumping quickly now as she tried to muster up the courage to say what was on her mind.

After all, her promise to Weiss yesterday had been... more than simply _seeing_ her again today.

Weiss was just remembering similar things.

Yesterday, Ruby had kissed her cheek, but today...

"So, you're okay?" the younger girl asked. "Like, you don't really have a migraine right now, right?"

"Of course not," Weiss reassured her. "Just a bit sore on my side, but that's all."

"Okay... That's good if it's not too bad."

"It's not."

"Good!"

A short, slightly-awkward silence ensued, both girls unsure of themselves. Weiss chewed the inside of her cheek, fumbling for words.

"So..." she grunted, clearing her throat. "A-Actually... yesterday we said that... we'd-"

"Um!" Ruby cut her off quickly, pointedly. "You have a bit of a cut, I think..."

Weiss blinked.

"R-Really? Where might that be?"

Ruby took a step forward, extending a hand slowly. Weiss felt soft fingertips brush against her cheek, then a thumb at her lip. Ruby lowered her voice and murmured.

"Right here..."

Weiss was silent for a moment, her eyes flicking to silver and holding the gaze.

"Then... would you mind doing something about it?"

Ruby inhaled sharply.

"S-Sure... If that's okay?"

Weiss merely closed her eyes and gave a tiny nod.

But now that she was faced with _actually_ doing this...

Ruby froze up. She couldn't bring herself to lean in those final few inches – she was far too flustered now. She'd never _done_ this before-

Weiss could both hear and feel Ruby's dilemma, feeling her fingers shaking on her cheek, and hearing her short, clipped breaths. Cautiously, the white-haired girl opened her eyes, her lips curling upward a little bit.

"Ruby?" she hummed.

"Ah- y-yes? S-Sorry, I just-"

"Hush."

Weiss leaned forward and kissed her gently, her hands finding their way to the brunette's shoulder and cheek.

Weiss only maintained the contact for a brief instant before pulling back, smiling a little.

Ruby's face was priceless – delighted and utterly dumbfounded.

Weiss' smile grew as she stepped away, her hands falling back to her sides.

"That's how you do it," she said softly.

Ruby nodded dumbly.

"G-Got it..." she wheezed.

"You can try again tomorrow, alright?" Weiss checked.

Ruby only nodded again.

By this time, Weiss' father had reemerged from his office, and Weiss put away the cleaning supplies before ushering Ruby to the doors. She saw a car waiting in one of the spaces, assuming it was Ruby's family, and Weiss wished the girl goodbye.

"Until tomorrow," she said.

"Y-Yeah..."

After closing up shop, Weiss went to her father's car as he unlocked it for her, opening the passenger-side door and taking her seat.

But before Ruby could go to her family's car, Weiss noticed her father pausing her for a moment. He said something to Ruby that Weiss couldn't hear; all she could tell was that it made Ruby happy enough to hug her father again.

Ruby then dashed off to her own car, as Weiss' father came to his and got in beside his daughter.

"What was that about, Papa?" she wondered.

He started the car, smiling all the while.

"Oh, nothing."

* * *

 **A/N: A bit of a slow chapter, but things will pick up a bit in the final two, I assure you~**

 **Please support me on as Kiria Alice if you like my work!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Some of you made guesses as to what Weiss' father said to Ruby. Find out if you were correct!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4.

The following day, Weiss worked the morning shift together with Blake once again.

She excitedly told the dark-haired girl about yesterday, how Ruby had come through and saw Weiss against the odds.

Blake already knew; Yang had been texting her all the while as Ruby had raced into the ice cream shop. But she kept quiet and happily listened to Weiss talk.

And Weiss didn't know _why_ she was telling Blake everything - she just felt she had to tell _someone_ , and she would much rather tell her than Sun.

Blake smiled all the while as she listened to the little story.

"So you guys kept the promise after all. That's really nice."

"I'll say," Weiss nodded. "And Blake, you should've seen the look on her face when Papa gave her those coupons. It was adorable!"

Blake had half a mind to tell Weiss that _she_ was being pretty adorable right now, talking so eagerly about Ruby like this.

"I bet she'll use one today," she guessed instead.

"I think you're right," Weiss agreed.

Just before noontime, Ruby and Yang entered the shop. The older of the two was at the front this time, which was a little odd, considering Ruby was typically at the head of the pair in her eagerness to get to the shop. But it was understandable that she was a bit bashful today, considering what had transpired between herself and Weiss yesterday evening.

Weiss hadn't told Blake about _that_ , and part of her believed Ruby hadn't told Yang yet either.

It was their little secret for now.

The girls behind the counter waved a little to Yang, and the blonde grinned at them before muttering something to Ruby behind her. Whatever she said seemed to have the girl remembering she was in her favorite place in town, and Ruby peeked from around her sister's side, her eyes going instantly to Weiss'. Weiss gave her a small smile and nodded back to her.

"Good morning, Ruby," she said.

The brunette squeaked a little before scurrying up to the counter after Yang.

"Yeah! G'morning, you guys!"

Yang and Blake each leaned over the counter to share a brief kiss, while Ruby and Weiss were subjected to having their cheeks turn pinker and pinker by the second.

"So..." Weiss said after a moment to move things along. "What will you be having today, Ruby?"

The question seemed to put the girl back into her usual mindset.

"Oh, right! I'll have a chocolate and a strawberry _and_ a vanilla scoop today! And then with the unlimited toppings I'd like nuts, gummy bears-"

"Alright," Weiss stopped her. "I merely needed to know what kind of ice cream you'd like today. I know your toppings, Ruby; I'm no amateur."

Her words were said with a small smirk and a quick wink before she turned around to grab the designated cup and start scooping ice cream.

Blake took care of Yang's order, sharing a quick glance with Weiss when they watched Ruby pull out one of the coupons. Yang took her ice cream cone in one hand and patted Ruby's head with the other.

"My lil' sis is a hero!"

"Y-Yang, quit it! No I'm not..." she mumbled. " _Weiss_ saved _me_."

"And you stuck around to ensure I was alright," Weiss reminded her. "So you _are_ my hero, Ruby."

The brunette blushed redder than her extra strawberry. She dipped her head and said nothing as Yang ushered her to an empty table.

As the sisters moved away from them, Weiss jumped when Blake promptly whispered in her ear.

"Gosh, what happened yesterday with you two? I've never seen Ruby so... red before."

"N-None of your business!" Weiss piped, giving Blake a light shove.

The taller girl laughed a bit and stepped sideways.

"Sorry, sorry. You're right, it's none of my business. Just my girlfriend's little sister and my coworker hooking up."

"We've done no such thing!"

"Not yet."

Now Weiss was just as red-faced as Ruby had been, and Blake chuckled to herself; she couldn't wait to see this happen.

So when Sun walked in just a minute later, she decided to take action.

"Sun!" Blake called to him with a wave. "Perfect timing. Weiss was just about to take her break and I'm just clocking out."

"What?" Weiss blinked in confusion. "I planned to wait another hour or so before I-"

"Oh, really?" Sun said, slipping behind the counter and grabbing his apron. "Yeah, sounds good. Just leave everything to me! You guys go take a break."

"Great," Blake said, taking off her apron and hanging it on its hook. "Let's go." She grabbed Weiss' hand and started leading her past Sun toward the end of the counter.

Weiss stumbled behind her.

"Go where? Blake what are you-"

"You're taking your break. Now," she decided.

"W-What-"

Weiss cut off as she was pulled around the tables, realizing Blake was taking her to the sisters' table. The two looked up from their ice cream when they saw they had visitors. Yang grinned around the spoon in her mouth and moved her chair over.

"Yay! Siddown, Blakey! Take a load off!"

"Thanks."

Blake took the seat offered to her and released Weiss' hand.

The white-haired girl stood there awkwardly for a moment, having no available seats to pull up.

Only when Yang nudged her sister beneath the table did Ruby realize she needed to take action.

"Oh! Um... h-here, take my chair!" she said. She quickly stood and grabbed another one for herself before sitting down, and slid the free chair over to Weiss.

The older girl thanked her quietly before sitting beside Ruby, though her eyes were still trained on Blake, silently demanding what the meaning of all of this was.

But her coworker seemed to have forgotten Weiss existed for the moment, as Blake's attention was now entirely on Yang.

The older pair chatted quietly for a moment, leaving the other two in stiff silence. Ruby hadn't touched her ice cream, and it was beginning to melt by now. Weiss nudged her side and told her to eat it just before Yang spoke up again.

"Oh, hey so, since Blake's off for the rest of the day, she and I are just gonna have a quick little date, alright? You two just stay here, and we're gonna go to the other side of the shop for a little privacy."

"What?" Ruby squeaked.

"Don't worry! We're gonna be right over there. You two just sit tight for like ten minutes, okay? That won't be so hard, will it?"

"And Weiss," Blake added as she stood up. "Sun's on duty and there aren't even any other customers right now. So don't worry about work. Just stay out here and relax for a bit."

"Yeah!" Yang grinned. "Ruby gets lonely sometimes."

"Yang, shut up!"

The blonde and her girlfriend wished them a temporary farewell before scurrying to the other side of the shop and taking seats there, leaving Ruby and Weiss alone.

Both girls were blushing and muttering to themselves.

"I don't believe her..."

"She planned this..."

Then they both looked up at one another, exasperated about their respective grievances.

"Yang would totally pull something like this."

"I've only known Blake a short while, but somehow I'm not surprised."

They were both pouting now, having found a common interest in grumbling about the other two girls enough to ease the bit of awkwardness in the air.

"Anyway," Weiss said with a sigh. "You should finish your ice cream before it melts. I'm not about to leave you sitting here alone, so don't worry about that."

"Thanks."

Ruby took another scoop of chocolate and strawberry, sprinkled with all of her favorite toppings that Weiss knew by heart. The older girl couldn't help but lean forward a little, resting her elbows onto the table and placing her chin in her palms.

"Is it good?" she wondered.

Ruby almost scoffed, as though the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of _course_ it's good! No, it's _fantastic!_ I really meant it when I said this is my favorite ice cream place ever! And it's gotten _even_ better since you started working here," she said with a smile.

Weiss felt her heart thump a little faster.

"It's nice to watch people enjoy the ice cream I prepared for them," she murmured. "But it's most fun to watch _you,_ and to know you like it. Despite the blasting air conditioning in this place... seeing you enjoying my ice cream makes me feel a little warmer."

She couldn't believe she'd actually gone and said it aloud, but she just felt so comfortable in talking to Ruby.

The brunette fidgeted a bit in her seat and chuckled softly.

"Yeah! It's really super yummy! And it didn't used to be _this_ good. I know it's a whole lot better now because _you're_ the one making it for me, Weiss!"

The smile she gave had a few sprinkles decorating it, and Weiss' heart skipped again.

"Alright..." she muttered, looking down. "Just finish eating it, you dolt. And wipe your mouth."

She said as much, but took the liberty of doing it herself, picking a fresh napkin from the dispenser on the table and leaning across to clean off Ruby's lip.

But Ruby hadn't been expecting this at all. Too look up and find Weiss suddenly so close to her-

"Ah-"

The cup of ice cream slipped right through her hand, and splattered directly onto her shirt and lap. She shrieked.

"Waaaah! Oh no, nonononooonoonoooo! The ice cream Weiss made for me is ruined now!"

Weiss stood instantly and skirted the table.

"What happened? All you had to do was hold still!"

"Well, it was kinda hard to do when you were s-so close like that..."

"Oh, so now this is _my_ fault?"

"Kinda! 'Cause you're so pre-" Ruby stopped herself and slapped a palm over her mouth. Weiss quirked an eyebrow, but this was no time for words.

"Whatever," the older girl mumbled. "Just take these and clean yourself up, will you?"

She handed Ruby napkin after napkin from the dispenser as the brunette removed the cup from her lap and put it back onto the table. She did her best to wipe of her red shirt, but her mini skirt was white and clearly showed every single stain. Ruby whimpered at all the wasted ice cream – that she'd obtained for free, no less.

"My strawberries..." she wailed. They'd fallen onto the floor and rolled, certainly inedible now.

Weiss picked them up along with the cup of voided ice cream and all of the napkins before bringing everything to the trash. Ruby closed her eyes, unable to watch as everything was thrown away. She only looked up again when she felt a hand on her arm pulling her up.

"Come on," Weiss said. "Follow me."

"B-But-"

Ruby stumbled after her as Weiss set a brisk pace for the counter. The little ordeal had caught the attention of the other three people in the shop.

"Hey!" Sun called over. "You okay there?"

"We're fine," Weiss reassured him before dragging Ruby to Blake and Yang's table. The two older girls were clearly struggling between amusement and concern, and something told Weiss they'd witnessed everything and had been giggling to themselves all the while.

"Wow, sis," Yang snorted. "Smooth~"

"Shut up!" she wailed.

"What a waste..." Blake murmured under her breath. "Of the free ice cream and of the chance we gave them."

She hadn't meant for anyone to hear, but obviously Weiss had. Her blue eyes met gold, and Blake could see a faint amount of irritation present, but for the most part it was determination that filled her co-worker's eyes.

Weiss had a plan.

As she went about explaining it, the other three listened.

"Since you two are so intent on having your date," she said, her eyes flashing back and forth between the girls at the table. "Then how about you make yourselves useful?" She then turned entirely to Yang. "You don't live far, right? You and Ruby walk here every day, don't you?"

"Yeah," Yang nodded. "We live right-"

"Good," Weiss cut her off. "Then stay right here and get ready to start running."

She left Blake and Yang staring after her dumbfounded as she took Ruby's arm again and led her to the counter.

"Uh, W-Weiss?" the girl stammered. "What-"

"Just trust me."

Ruby said nothing more, merely following Weiss' lead as she motioned Sun aside and slipped past him. She grabbed Blake's apron along the way, and Ruby realized Weiss was taking her back to the little hallway where she herself had gone to fetch the ice pack a few nights ago.

Weiss led her past the mini-fridge and to a small bathroom where she paused outside the door. She turned to Ruby and handed her the apron.

"Here. Put this on and take off your skirt. Your shirt can be salvaged because it's red, and it wasn't stained too much anyway."

"Huh?"

"Are you even listening?" Weiss chided. "You're lucky you wore leggings today or else you'd be in a predicament. Take off your skirt and put on the apron. It's Blake's, so it'll cover you to your knees. We'll have those two run back to your house to throw the skirt in the wash and fetch you something else to wear and bring it back. Until then, you can cover yourself with the apron and wait outside with me, or you can hide back here alone. Your choice."

Weiss spoke quickly and confidently about her plan, and it took Ruby a moment to catch up and comprehend her words. She nodded slowly and accepted the apron.

"O-Okay."

Weiss held the door open for her and then closed it once Ruby was inside. She waited, standing guard, even though no one other than Sun would need to come back here.

It only took a minute before Ruby opened the door and emerged, now wearing Blake's white and blue apron over her red shirt and black leggings, her stained skirt in her arms.

"It looks good on you," Weiss commented before taking the skirt.

She slipped behind Ruby and went to the sink, running some hot water and doing her best to scrub out the excess ice cream, but most of the chocolate and strawberry stains had already seeped into the material. She turned the water off and dried Ruby's skirt with paper towels before coming back to her.

"As I feared, you'll have to wash it specially with bleach when you get home. So we'll have your sister do that for you. You just stay here with me and wait for her."

She took Ruby's hand again and led her back out to the shop, slipping once again past Sun and out from behind the counter. Ruby could only mumble a small question.

"Why are you going through all the trouble, Weiss? You didn't have to do all this..."

Weiss paused and looked back over her shoulder.

"Of course I did. If not, you'll have to walk home in a sloppy skirt. And besides, this gives you sister and Blake some time to be alone, doesn't it? That's what they wanted, after all. Albeit they'll be working up a sweat in the process."

Ruby offered a tiny smile and followed her the rest of the way to the table where her sister was waiting. Blake was surprised to see Ruby wearing her apron, but Weiss explained the plan to the both of them.

"Makes sense, right?"

"Yeah!" Yang agreed, taking the skirt from Weiss. "I'm impressed you thought of all that so quickly!"

"While I appreciate the praise, the sooner we can get this done, the better."

"Right!" Yang grinned. "You ready to run, Blakey?"

"As I'll ever be."

Yang turned back to her sister who was standing behind Weiss, muttering about how weird it felt to be dressed like this.

"Hang in there, Rubes!" Yang said, ruffling her hair. "We'll be back before ya know it!"

"Okay," Ruby nodded. "Thanks, you guys."

"Don't thank us! Thank Weissy here for comin' up with the idea!"

"What did you call-"

"Okay, see ya in a few!" Yang hurriedly herded Blake toward the doors and rushed out after her before Weiss could snap at her.

The white-haired girl merely sighed before turning back to Ruby. Her eyes also flashed back to Sun who was leaning lazily against the wall with his eyes closed.

"Sun!"

A quick, loud call of his name had him jumping awake.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Would you fetch me the cleaning supplies? Ruby and I'll clean off the tables since there aren't any customers right now."

"Oh, sure thing." He ducked down for a minute to gather the spray bottle and paper towel rolls before handing them to Weiss over the counter.

"Thank you." She turned back to Ruby and quickly corrected herself. "Oh, what am I saying? Sorry. Of course you don't have to clean the tables. You're a customer, after all. I just spoke without thinking because you were in-uniform," she said. "You can just have a seat."

"N-No, I can help clean!" Ruby offered. "I mean, there's nothing else to do anyway, and I'd feel bad if you were just working by yourself to clean up all these tables. Lemme help!"

Without waiting for an answer, she took one of the spray bottles from Weiss and ripped off a few paper towels before scurrying over to the nearest table to start cleaning. Weiss smiled fondly and followed after her.

They cleaned the chairs as well, and at one point, Weiss left the tables to Ruby as she herself got a broom and began sweeping the floors. No other customers came in, and Sun was clearly feeling bad about letting them do all of the work.

"I'll get the outside tables!" he called, grabbing another roll of paper towels before heading out the door. Weiss gave a deadpanned stare to his back and caught Ruby's eye, counting down.

"Three... two... one-"

"Oh!" Sun popped back in through the door. "Forgot the spray."

Weiss handed him a bottle and hid a smirk.

As Sun went outside, Ruby found she was alone with Weiss once more. She knew Mr. Schnee was in his office doing work, and probably wouldn't come out unless he needed something.

Weiss continued sweeping and Ruby helped with the tables. She'd gotten used to the way the apron looked on herself, even if it was a bit long.

It was then Ruby felt she could ask a question that had been on her mind for a while now.

"So, Weiss... You work here all day long? Every day?"

The older girl shrugged and nodded.

"Yes. Usually, Sun or Blake take the first half of the day and the other person takes the second half, but I'm always here. My father drives me, so I stay the entire day with him."

"That sounds like a lot of work for you every day."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it. It's a consistent schedule at the very least, which I very much appreciate. And besides..." She walked slowly toward Ruby and paused in her sweeping to smile at her. "It's worth it every day if I get to see _you_."

Now that they were alone again, they both seemed to remember that they'd _kissed_ yesterday.

On the lips.

Ruby swallowed thickly, feeling herself blush.

"Ah, that reminds me, Weiss..." she stuttered. "I-I've been meaning to ask this, b-but what..." She paused again and took a deep breath before meeting her crystal-blue eyes. "What are... _we_...?"

The white-haired girl blinked once, but she wasn't all that surprised by the question. She'd been debating it herself for several days now, after all.

She didn't give a direct answer, but leaned the broom against the wall and left it there as she closed the distance between Ruby and herself. Leaning forward, she pressed a feather-light kiss to the girl's cheek and murmured.

"What do you _want_ us to be...?"

Ruby was disheartened that the kiss had been so short-lived. She wanted more...

"I-"

Her response was cut off when the doors opened, and a few customers filed in through the doors. Her silver eyes were distraught as they met Weiss' again, guilty that she'd failed to answer right away. But Weiss reassured her with another kiss to her hair.

"It's fine," she said. "Tell me later." She picked up the broom and a roll of the paper towels before nodding to Ruby. "Help me put everything away, would you? Then I can start serving these people."

Ruby quickly grabbed the remaining supplies and followed her behind the counter to put everything in its place. Being back here was permissive for employees only, but she'd already done it several times within the past few days, and she knew where everything was located.

Weiss hurried back to the restroom to wash her hands as the customers were deciding on their ice cream, and Ruby quickly followed her lead.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Weiss ringing up the orders for a mother and her three children. There was an older woman still looking at the ice cream, squinting at the flavor names past the glass. The woman looked up through her glasses and caught sight of Ruby.

"Excuse me? Could you help me, dear?"

Ruby froze, her eyes going wide as she looked behind her, only to find no one else was there. And Weiss was still at the register and Sun was outside so-

"M-Me?" She pointed to herself.

The old woman nodded.

"Yes, dear. Could you tell me what flavor this is? I can't quite make out the words."

Ruby realized she'd been mistaken for an employee since she was wearing Blake's apron. She flashed a glance to Weiss who was still busy with the chatty mother and hyper kids. Ruby didn't want to make this lady wait, nor did she want to put pressure on Weiss to hurry with her own task.

"Sure!" Ruby said, putting on a bright smile. "I can help you! That's cookie-dough ice cream!"

"Cookie-dough? Do you happen to have anything with mint, deary?"

"Oh yeah! We have mint-chocolate-chip ice cream right here!" Ruby said, pointing to the proper container and speaking as though she owned the place. She'd been here enough times to know it by heart anyway.

The old woman smiled.

"Wonderful. Then I'd like a small cup of that, please."

"Okie-doki!"

Ruby was a bit nervous about scooping the ice cream – she hoped this was okay.

She took a small cup and put in one and a half scoops, knowing that was the designated amount for a "small" order. Just tidbits she'd picked up after months of being a regular here.

"Oh! And would you like to try the extra toppings? They're super yummy and it's just one dollar extra! There's gummy bears, nuts, powdered sugar, sprinkles, whipped-cream, cherries, cookies and – my personal favorite – strawberries!"

The old woman laughed a little.

"Well, these old teeth of mine can't handle nuts or gummy things very well. But some whipped cream sounds nice."

"Comin' right up!"

Ruby went about fixing the woman's order for her just as Weiss finished with the mother and her children. Ruby sent the old woman to Weiss to pay for her food, and then watched her take a seat at one of the tables.

It was then Weiss went to her, and Ruby grew instantly flustered.

"Was that okay? I-I mean I know I'm not an employee or anything, but my hands were clean and I knew how much to give her and I know where all the toppings are and I didn't want to make her wait but I also didn't wanna rush _you_ and-"

"Ruby-" Weiss smiled and hushed her with a quick kiss to the lips. "Calm down. You did wonderfully."

"I-I uh..."

"Wonderfully indeed," said a new, deeper voice. Ruby looked up with a small squeak as Weiss' father emerged from his office. "I saw everything from the cameras. I was going to come out to help with things myself, but once I saw you were going to handle it, I stayed put to watch. And I'll say you did quite the perfect job. Though I am sorry about your clothes getting ruined."

"It's alright, Papa," Weiss said. "We took care of things. Her sister should be back any moment now with Blake and something for Ruby to change into that she can wear on the way home."

"Even so," he said. "I feel I should apologize somehow, since your free ice cream coupon went to waste..."

He was silent for a moment, and Ruby went stiff, as though she were standing before a police officer. Weiss slipped into place next to her and patted her back to calm her down.

"I've been thinking..." Weiss' father said. "Since it's getting hotter now, we'll be getting more customers, and we'll only ever have two employees on duty at any given time. And Weiss works all day, so I'd like for her to be able to have a bit of a longer break if possible. So then..."

He looked down at Ruby and smiled. "You seem to know all there is to know already, Ruby. Would you consider working for me this summer?"

Weiss had to react quickly to catch the girl and prevent her from falling flat on her back.

"R-Ruby?" she yelped.

" _Yes?!_ " Ruby cried. "I-I mean like not even as a question but like yes, oh my gosh?! Yeah, yes yes yes a million bajillion times yes? I'd _love_ to work for you, sir, I mean like it's only ever been my dream job for my _whole entire life_ and especially recently because I'd really like to spend more time with Weiss too if that's okay but I wasn't sure about how to ask you or bring it up even though I already spoke to my parents about it and they said it was a good idea and-"

"Splendid!" the man said, clapping his hands. "Then when you stop by tomorrow, we can discuss things further. Just let your parents know tonight that you've already guaranteed yourself the job."

"R-R-R-Really?!" she peeped softly, not wanting to disturb the customers. "Oh my gooosshh th-thank you sososososoooo much, sir, oh my gosh-"

"I'll be glad to have you on-board."

With that, he returned to his office and closed the door.

Weiss was still supporting most of Ruby's weight, as the brunette had gone limp with disbelief and excitement. But Weiss was at her limit with holding her up and wheezed a plea.

"R-Ruby, please-"

"Oh my _gosh,_ Weeeiiiss~!" She quickly threw her arms around the white-haired girl and nuzzled vigorously into the side of her neck. "Weiss, Weiss, Weiss! I- I get to-! Y-Your dad just asked me to-"

"I know," she grunted. "I was here. I heard everything, Ruby." She patted the girl's back lightly. "I'm glad you're so excited about it. Which brings me to my next point about some of the things you said-"

But Ruby was too excited to listen.

"Weissss! I get to work together with you! I get to work my dream job with my dream girl!"

And she kissed Weiss full on the lips, just as the doors opened and Sun, Blake, and Yang returned.

The customers watched too, blushing and chuckling. And Weiss knew her father was watching as well.

Everyone was watching them now.

She felt she might die.

But she could save that for later.

For now, she simply returned Ruby's embrace and kissed her back fully, without restraint or regret.

It was a moment later when everyone started to clap and Yang squealed, and that was when Ruby pulled away and nearly fainted from embarrassment. Weiss clung to her again, to keep the both of them from passing out, muttering "dolt..." into her ear before kissing it.

Nothing about their relationship was left to anyone's imagination anymore.

Blake went to the two girls to help them stand again, and Yang tossed Ruby a fresh skirt to change into. The brunette skipped back to the bathroom to put it on and remove Blake's apron.

In the meantime, Weiss leaned against the wall and clutched her chest as Blake rubbed her shoulders for her and smiled widely.

"S'about time!" Sun said. "We were all wondering when you two'd fess up and get together."

"Which reminds me," Blake said. "You owe me twenty bucks."

"Aw man..."

"Y-You two were _betting?_ " Weiss shrieked. She swatted her coworkers away and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ruby emerged a moment later, dressed in her fresh skirt and handing Blake her apron to hang up once more. She hugged Weiss again and kissed her cheek.

The white-haired girl glared the audience into turning away before she reciprocated.

It was a few minutes later until Yang could pry her little sister off of Weiss.

"You'll see her again tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh," Blake perked up. "But until then, Weiss, shouldn't you give her your number?"

Ruby squeaked again. Yang chuckled.

"Rubes, ya already smooched her. Don't get flustered over just getting her number now."

Weiss huffed and puffed like a big blushing wolf, but wrote down her cell phone number for Ruby nonetheless.

"I-I'll text you tonight!" Ruby promised before skipping out of the shop behind her sister.

Blake insisted Weiss sit down for a while and take another break to collect herself and slow her heart down. She sat beside the smaller girl, smiling and patting her back all the while. Blake kept the teasing to a minimum, though she knew for certain that Yang wasn't being as kind with Ruby.

When Weiss finally had composed herself enough to get back to work, she was understandably distracted for the remainder of the day, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Ruby and what was to come tomorrow.

Even after Blake and Sun left, her father poked fun at her about the kiss Ruby had given her in front of the entire shop. Weiss whined at him playfully on the car ride home and at dinner that night.

When at last she laid down in bed and turned off the lights, she saw her phone light up with a message:

 _Good night, Weiss! I'll see you tomorrow!_

She saved the number in her phone as Ruby's before sending a reply:

 _Goodnight_ , _Ruby_.

Her heart was thumping all the while as she waited for sleep to come, nervous and more excited for tomorrow than she ever had been before.

* * *

 **A/N: An ice cream shop would totally be Ruby's ideal place to work and get a girlfriend, and you can't convince me otherwise.**

 **Please support me on as Kiria Alice if you like my work!**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm glad everyone has been enjoying this fic! Please enjoy the final chapter as well!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5.

When Weiss woke the next morning, it was much earlier than she needed to be up.

The ice cream shop didn't open until 8AM, therefore she and her father often woke at 7 to eat and drive there by 7:30.

But this morning, Weiss was woken at the ungodly hour of 6:30 by her cell phone buzzing.

She moaned, eyes creaking open to find her room already slightly bright with sunlight, but not bright enough to warrant waking up. She shook the numbness off her hand that had been buried beneath her pillow before reaching out for her phone.

The screen's brightness made her squint, and she opened her messages to find one from her most recent contact. Ruby had texted her:

 _Weiss? Can I call you? I have so many questions about today! ;u;_

With a groan, the girl did her best to compose a reply:

 _fin e..._

Only seconds after she'd sent the message, her phone was ringing, and she swiped the screen to answer it. When Weiss spoke, her voice was cracked and hoarse from sleep.

"Ruby-"

"Weiss!" the younger girl's voice sounded normal and high-pitched, as though she'd been awake talking to herself for hours. For all Weiss knew, it was entirely possible. "I'm sorry! You sound tired! You should go back to sleep!"

"...That's not going to happen _now_ ," she grunted. "So just ask me whatever it was you needed to ask..."

"Are you sure? Well, okay then. First of all, I was just wondering like, what time I should be there? Should I be there when the shop opens or just like-"

"Ruby," Weiss cut her off. "Didn't... my father tell you," she yawned. "Just come in whenever and he'll discuss things with you then."

"O-Oh, okay," Ruby mumbled. "B-But then like, should I-"

"Ruby," Weiss stopped her again. "You _do_ know that you aren't starting on the job today, right? You're just going to talk to my father about which days and hours would be most convenient for you. You're not working today."

There were a few shuffling sounds from the other end of the line; Weiss knew Ruby had been under the wrong impression all this while.

"I-I'm not... working today," Ruby repeated, as if to remind herself. "Right. Right..." She grew quiet, and Weiss closed her eyes for a moment.

"Do you get it now?" she asked. "You don't have to be so worked-up and nervous about it, alright? I know you're excited, but don't lose sleep because of it."

 _And don't make_ others _lose sleep because of it, either_... she added quietly to herself.

Ruby mumbled to herself a bit more.

"Ah, o-okay. I get it now. Sorry, Weiss. I know it's really early and I bet I woke you up, huh?"

"A bit..." she huffed. "But it's fine. I hope I could help calm you down a bit. Don't be so jittery, Ruby."

"Yeah..."

Weiss could tell by the girl's voice that she was still nervous, probably already dressed and ready for the day and unable to sleep.

"Ruby... please tell me you got some rest last night?"

"Oh, yeah! I did! About six hours, and then I woke up super early and was just so _excited_ so I-"

"Alright," Weiss stopped her again. "But you should get some proper rest now. It's still early, so go back to sleep."

"I don't think I can," came the sheepish reply. "I'll just play games or something..."

"Ruby," Weiss' voice grew a bit stern. "Don't start bad habits with ruining your sleep schedule. You'll get yourself sick."

"Aw, Weiss, don't be a worry-wart!"

"I'll become just that if that's what it takes to get you well-rested," she snapped. "Do you want to make your girlfriend into the kind of person who's constantly worrying about you and then ends up losing sleep herself?"

"N-N-No of c-course not, w-what did you-"

"Good." Weiss huffed. She knew she was taking things much further hypothetically than they would ever likely go, but she didn't like the idea of Ruby neglecting her sleep, even a little bit. Weiss cared for her far too much. "Lay down, Ruby," she ordered across the phone.

"Wh-What?"

"You heard me. Go back to your bed and lay down."

There was a moment of silence from the other end, and she trusted Ruby was doing just that.

"Okay," Ruby said. "I'm laying down, Weiss. Now what?"

"Now just be quiet and listen..."

After having been speaking for several minutes now, Weiss' voice had lost its overall rasp and was now a bit clearer. These weren't exactly the best singing conditions, but she put forth her full effort, keeping her voice soft and low as she sang a short lullaby.

The second Ruby heard that lovely sound, even past the static of the phones, she instantly melted, her heart warm and smile widening. She closed her eyes and listened to Weiss' song, feeling herself slipping quickly. She didn't even get to thank Weiss before she fell asleep.

Once the song had ended, Weiss listened, but heard no response.

Confident that she had accomplished her task, she hung up the call and returned to her pillow for another brief hour of rest.

* * *

Weiss was a bit drowsy at work that day, and Blake noticed right away. She tapped Weiss' shoulder and smiled down at her.

"You know," she said casually. "Yang texted me this morning saying she found Ruby in a dead sleep on her bed with her phone by her ear, but she was already dressed. What do you think happened?"

"How should I know..." Weiss grunted, and it wasn't really a question. They both knew the answer anyway.

"I hope you weren't up talking to her all night," Blake commented.

"I wasn't!" Weiss snapped. "She called me at 6:30 because she couldn't sleep so I merely-"

"Alright, alright, sorry," Blake said easily. "I didn't mean to pry. It's none of my business."

Weiss pursed her lips and turned away.

Blake knew through Yang that Weiss' father had offered Ruby a job here, and receiving that offer had been the reason why Blake, Yang, and Sun had walked in on the two younger girls kissing yesterday. Blake thought they were the most adorable couple in the universe.

Both she and Weiss worked the morning shift together, hardly surprised when Ruby and Yang came in earlier than usual.

Ruby was as energetic as always, and Weiss was glad to see it. She smiled instantly as their eyes met, and Ruby zipped across the room, braced her palms on the countertop, and gave a little jump by kicking her feet off the floor. She leaned over and pecked Weiss' lips before landing.

"Morning, Weiss!"

The white-haired girl stuttered to herself for half a minute before she managed to compose herself.

"Ruby, we're in a professional work environment," she said. "Even when we're working together, you can't just-"

"It's fine, Weiss," Blake interjected. "You know your father doesn't care, so long as we're still putting the work first." To prove her point, she offered a hand out to Yang. The blonde eagerly accepted it, and Blake pulled her forward over the counter to kiss her cheek sweetly.

Weiss grumbled and crossed her arms.

"Whatever..."

Ruby and Yang placed their orders as their respective girlfriends served them. Weiss made sure to find the two largest strawberries for Ruby and kissed them each before placing them on the ice cream.

Ruby didn't use one of her coupons today, but paid in cash with Yang before taking her seat.

Weiss knocked on the door of her father's office and peeked in, letting him know Ruby was here if he'd like to speak with her. He nodded, stood from his desk, and walking out into the shop.

Weiss watched as he walked over to Ruby and greeted her with a smile, and the brunette grinned back at him with ice cream smearing her lips.

Weiss stood behind the counter, and though she couldn't hear Ruby's or her father's words, she knew what they were discussing.

An unexpected comment from Blake had Weiss jolting.

"Can't take your eyes off her, can you?"

"What-"

"Don't be embarrassed," Blake chuckled. "I was the same way with Yang when I first met her two years ago."

"You've been dating for _two years?_ " Weiss parroted.

"Yeah. I mean, we're perfect for each other. Never needed or wanted anything from anyone else, and I don't think we ever will." Blake smiled, her eyes becoming a bit distance as she revisited fond memories.

"But the first time I saw her was when the shop had just opened up. I was working here after school with another employee at the time. I guess that was before you had the option to work here since you're always busy, even after classes during the school year.

"But anyway, it was one of the first days the place was open, and those two walked in two years younger than they are now. Ruby asked for everything on the menu and Yang had to cover her mouth and shake her head. She looked at me and said 'Oh, don't mind her! She'll just have some chocolate ice cream with sprinkles. And I'll take black raspberry, please.' And she winked at me and that was it, Weiss. I was smitten.

"I tripped over my own two feet on the way to make the ice cream, and Yang rushed back behind the counter to make sure I was okay. I'd hit my cheek on the edge of the counter on the way down, and she just kissed it like there was no tomorrow..."

Weiss felt the smile on her face grow more and more as Blake spoke. Her golden eyes were getting misty in a way Weiss had never seen before; now she knew why Blake was always teasing her about Ruby.

"How precious are you?" Weiss giggled, nudging the girl's ribs lightly with her elbow. "Now you've given me some insight to teasing you. That's only fair."

"Okay..." Blake shrugged. "But do you even _realize_ how red your face gets every time you mention Ruby's name or even _think_ about her?"

"Wha-"

"Even right now," she purred. "Your heart's going a mile a minute, isn't it? _Especially_ now. Because she's your _girlfriend_ now and you're going to be working with her every day for the rest of the summer-"

"S-Stop it, you!"

Their quiet bouts of teasing and bickering went on for another few minutes before they saw Weiss' father stand from the table. Ruby and Yang waited for him, finishing their ice cream as they did so.

Weiss watched her father come back behind the counter and go into his office, returning seconds later after retrieving a brand new apron. Ruby gasped the second she saw it.

"I-Is that-?"

"It's yours," he said.

"Eeek!" She rushed over to him and took the apron, bouncing excitedly up and down before hugging him again. "Thank you thank you thank yoooouu!"

"You may leave it here every night," he informed her. "Just be sure to take it home at least once a week to wash it a bit."

"I will, sir!" Ruby vowed. "I'll take it home every day and wash it every day, even! Oh my gosh, I can't wait to show Mom and Dad!"

She then turned back to Yang, delighted to find her elder sister was waiting with open arms. Ruby squealed and threw herself at her, and Yang chuckled and squeezed her tightly.

Mr. Schnee went back to his office, but not before making an amused comment to Weiss and Blake.

"Things are about to get much more lively around here, I see."

They both nodded in agreement.

There were still no other customers in the shop, so the four girls decided to sit at one of the tables together to talk.

Ruby hugged her apron to her chest tightly as she sat beside Weiss, taking her girlfriend's arm and clinging to that as well. Weiss ran her free fingers through Ruby's hair and kissed her cheek softly.

Blake sat beside Yang, and it was she who started the conversations.

"Congratulations on the job, Ruby," she said. "But now I'm just wondering..." Her eyes went to the blonde's. "What are _you_ gonna do, Yang? I mean, now that she's going to be working here?"

"Aw, don't worry 'bout me!" Yang grinned. "As a matter of fact, the clothing store right next door to this place is hiring and I was gonna head on over there today to apply for the job!"

"Really?" Blake perked up visibly.

"Yeah! Wouldn't that be great? To have all of us workin' together right next door? And when we're on break, we can come see each other and have some ice cream. I can show you gals where all the cutest clothes are and I'll pick 'em out for you and dress you up in 'em!"

"That'd be so awesome!" Ruby chirped, squeezing Weiss' arm tighter. "And we can walk to work together every day and hang out in the other little stores and stuff!"

"Maybe we could even go on a double date sometime," Blake suggested.

At that, Ruby and Weiss froze and turned pink again.

"Awww~" Yang cooed. "C'mon you guys, don't be so embarrassed~! You've already smooched 'n all that, so ya _gotta_ go on a date sooner or later! Might as well be with Blakey and me, right?"

Weiss' jaw hung open for a brief moment before she quickly closed it.

"W-We'll see..."

"Huh?" Ruby whimpered. "Do you not wanna go on a date, Weiss? Are you... embarrassed of me...? I mean, I know I'm kind of a nerd, but-"

"You dolt!" Weiss flicked the girl's forehead, earning an "owwie!" Weiss huffed and glared down into her silver eyes. "What got such a thought into your head? Did I _ever_ say such a thing? No, I didn't. Don't put words in my mouth, or I'll put my mouth on yours."

She didn't care that the other two were watching anymore. Weiss pulled Ruby close and kissed her full on the lips, tasting a bit of the ice cream before releasing her. Ruby's face went red all over again, while Blake and Yang smirked and chuckled. Weiss pouted at them before turning back to Ruby - her silver eyes were sparkling now.

"So..." Ruby blinked. "We _can_ go on a double date?"

Weiss huffed.

"Of course."

"Yaaaay!"

Ruby hugged her even tighter, until Weiss had to wheeze and request she be allowed to breathe again.

The four girls chatted together for a while longer, about the little dream that was very nearly a reality now.

When more customers started trickling in, Weiss went back to the counter to start helping Sun serve them.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Blake accompanied Yang to the small clothing store next to the ice cream shop, where the blonde spoke with one of the girls at the register to inform her on the process of applying for a job. The trio ended up shopping a little bit in the end, walking away with a few bags.

They then returned to the ice cream shop to say goodbye to Weiss and Sun. Ruby stole a kiss from her girlfriend when she was able to, promising more texts that evening.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ruby," Weiss smiled. "Bright and early!"

"Yeah!" she squealed. "'Cause I'm gonna be working with yooouu!"

"Just make sure you actually sleep tonight, please."

"Right! I will!"

By the time Weiss closed the shop with her father that evening, Ruby had sent her twenty more text messages. All evening, Weiss was replying to her, calming her nerves and convincing her to get some rest.

In the end, Ruby called her and shyly requested Weiss sing her a lullaby once again. The older girl complied, singing to her softly over the phone, ending it with a murmur of "goodnight, Ruby."

There was only a sleepy mumble as a response, and she liked to believe she heard "I love you" before the line went silent.

Weiss curled up with a smile on her face that night, eager for the day ahead.

* * *

It was a bit of a hectic day, to say the least.

Ruby ended up calling her even earlier than she had the day before; at 6AM on the dot this time. She fretted and whimpered that she was sorry for waking Weiss, but she didn't want to be late for her first day on the shift.

Weiss yawned and soothed her, successfully keeping the irritation out of her tone. She wasn't actually upset with Ruby; it was just the tiredness talking. She reminded the girl the shop didn't open until 8, and that Ruby could sleep at least another hour yet.

Weiss wasn't surprised that her girlfriend couldn't fall back asleep, even after Weiss had sung to her again. So she stayed on the line with Ruby and talked to her for the next hour, until her father called her down for breakfast. She promised Ruby she'd see her soon and hung up before getting dressed and going downstairs to eat.

When Weiss and her father arrived at the shop, she half-expected to find Ruby already there waiting outside in her apron. She could only assume Yang had stopped her little sister from doing such a thing.

Weiss opened up shop with her father as per usual, but just as she was washing the day's supply of fruit, the doors opened with the chiming of little bells. She looked up and wasn't surprised to find Ruby there, dressed in her apron, back straight, and hand to her forehead in a salute as she "reported for duty!"

Yang lumbered in sleepily behind her, completed application forms in-hand.

Ruby greeted Weiss and her father stiffly, earning a chuckle from her new boss and a smile from his daughter.

Weiss went to Ruby and took her hands, kissing her forehead lightly, hushing the girl's apologies for waking her so early that morning.

The clothing store next door wasn't open yet, so Yang sat down at one of the tables and dozed for a few moments.

Meanwhile, Weiss took Ruby behind the counter, but this time it wasn't just to fetch supplies or change clothes. It was to start working.

Just a week or so ago, Weiss had been the one learning the way of things around here, but now she was teaching Ruby.

Not that she needed to, she soon found out.

Ruby had frequented the shop enough times since it had opened, and she already knew just about everything like the back of her hand.

She closed her eyes and recited the order of the ice cream flavors, and then the order of the toppings where they sat in their respective jars. Weiss showed her how to use the smoothie machine, but other than that, Ruby was ready to work.

Blake came in a few minutes later, greeting her drowsy girlfriend with a kiss before heading over to the other two.

Ruby was a mixture of nervous and excited as she looked toward the door, eager for the first customers of the day. Blake patted her shoulder to calm her a little, while Weiss kissed her cheek.

They had Ruby serve the first customer, who was a boy by himself. She went through the motions like an expert as she removed the correctly-sized cup and scooped the ice cream into it, then covering it with the desired toppings, pulling out a spoon and a napkin from the respective dispensers, and handing him everything in under a minute.

Weiss had to help her a bit with the cash register, but after a few minor mishaps and wrong pushes of the buttons, Ruby had completed her first sale.

She squealed in delight and hugged Blake, then did the same to Weiss and added a kiss to her lips as the two older girls praised her.

By then, Yang had woken and decided to saunter next door to hand in her application.

And for Weiss, the rest of the morning was... more fun than she'd ever had.

She stuck to working the register as Ruby and Blake prepared orders. There was a new energy about the shop, and it was contagious. It made everything seem brighter and more colorful, and it all led back to one person.

Ruby's beaming smile never left her face for a second as she served the customers their treats. She knew firsthand the joy that ice cream could bring a person, and she loved sharing that joy more than anything else.

She was only on her first day of the job, but Ruby was already leagues ahead of Weiss in the sense that she knew _what_ she was working for.

Weiss silently vowed to strive until her attitude towards things was on the same level as Ruby's.

Things went smoothly, although there were a few instances where Blake would have to nudge Ruby away from the strawberries, turning her over to Weiss for a small lecture about not eating the products on the job. Ruby apologized and promised to wait until she was off-duty and could pay for them.

But even when noontime came and she was supposed to clock out, Ruby didn't want to leave.

"I'm having so much fun! I _love_ it!" she protested.

It was certainly the understatement of the summer.

Weiss patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Yes, but if you work all day, you'll be too tired to work again tomorrow."

"But _you_ work all day!" Ruby whined. "I wanna work with you all day, Weiss!"

It was that statement that made the white-haired girl realize that Ruby's passion for ice cream wasn't her only reason for loving this job. Her heart fluttered a little bit with the knowledge that Ruby wanted to stay in order to work with _her_.

An idea sparked in Weiss' mind, but she feared it would have to wait.

"I'll talk to my father about it," she promised. "But for now, just go home with Yang and get some rest. You've been up all morning and you'll be back on the job tomorrow."

Ruby sighed heavily, but nonetheless removed her apron with a glum nod. Weiss cheered her up instantly with another kiss and a gentle embrace, alongside reassuring words that she would resolve the working situation until everyone was satisfied.

Ruby and Yang stuck around to purchase their own ice cream to eat on the walk home, after which Sun arrived and switched places with Blake, and the day continued on.

. . .

Weiss waited until the shop had closed that evening before proposing her idea to her father.

With a bit of texting to Blake and Yang, Weiss found out all she needed to know.

Yang's application at the clothing store had been accepted, and she was to start working full shifts there soon. Weiss requested a copy of her schedule, which Yang emailed to her. Weiss printed it out and gave it to her father, requesting that Ruby be put on duty the same days as Yang was.

"This way," Weiss explained to him. "They can both walk to and from work together. We open and close at almost the same time as the clothing store, so Ruby could work at the same time Yang's working, and then they could both go home together."

Her father saw no faults in her reasoning or request, and therefore arranged things just as Weiss had offered.

She called Ruby right away to inform her she could start working full days together with Weiss.

Upon hearing that news, the girl squealed so loudly and for so long Weiss feared she might pass out. Ruby promised Weiss "at least a million kisses tomorrow!" before hanging up and sharing the news with her family.

And so that was how things became.

Four days a week, Yang worked at the clothing store, and four days a week, Ruby came to work full shifts at the ice cream shop with Weiss.

Even on the days the sisters weren't working, they still stopped by regularly to get their ice cream and see their girlfriends.

Even while they worked, Ruby and Weiss got into the habit of stealing kisses here and there, either when no one was in the shop, or after having served mass amounts of people, like sports teams.

Blake and Sun still only had the time to work half-day shifts, but with three people on-duty at all times, the workload on each of them lessened, as did the pressure to get everything finished faster.

During the slower hours, Ruby and Weiss would take breaks and play games together, eat their lunches and chat.

And when it came time to go home, Weiss would walk her over to the clothing store to wait for Yang, and then send Ruby home with a kiss. Whenever Blake was closing shop with Weiss, she'd accompany them as well and do the same for Yang.

Every day became something to look forward to for each of them, and every evening became a restful night to lead to the next excitable day.

The four of them texted one another daily for one reason or another, mainly for one couple to tease about the other.

Blake often reminded Yang to do some of her summer homework, and Weiss made sure to keep Ruby on track with it as well.

But their interactions weren't simply limited to lighthearted matters, either.

On a stormy night that week, Weiss called Ruby, knowing she'd be having difficulty sleeping. She sang to her for a long while before convincing her to go to Yang's bed to sleep.

And when Blake fell ill a few weeks later, Yang took off from work to go see her, while Ruby and Weiss called her and sent her get well messages.

They looked after one another during the tougher times so that the happier ones would be all the better.

And on one very rare occasion, when Weiss and Ruby were alone in the shop together, Weiss took one of the strawberries from the container and broke it in half, giving a piece to her girlfriend. Without a word, she gobbled it down as Weiss nibbled her piece.

Once finished, they sealed their red lips together with a kiss.

It was their little secret.

* * *

Two weeks after Ruby and Yang had started their new jobs, the four girls finally made plans for their first double date.

Yang was off work as was Ruby, and Weiss had taken her first day off from the ice cream shop all summer. Her father insisted she deserved it.

Blake worked the morning shift together with Sun, but then left at noon, leaving the shop to him and Mr. Schnee.

Weiss was glad she could finally see Ruby without having to cover her outfit with the apron, so she made sure to dress nicely, in blues and whites and light colors to keep cool on the hot summer day.

Ruby adorned a mini skirt and t-shirt as per usual, while Yang sported a tank top and shorts. After Blake was freed from her shift, she removed her apron as well to reveal casual, comfortable clothes.

Once everyone was ready, Yang led the way to the clothing store next door and insisted they all shop to their hearts' content.

Weiss selected various outfits for Ruby and for herself, and dragged her girlfriend into the changing rooms to try things on. Ruby ended up buying pajamas, but Weiss also bought a little red dress for her, as well as some articles for herself.

Blake selected a darker wardrobe, and Yang chose a few more pairs of shorts. She gave them all her employee discount on their purchases, and then the four of them headed out.

They went to the nearby park and walked together, each couple hand-in-hand as they sauntered down the sidewalk that cut through the green grass.

They left their bags on a bench when a swing set came into view. Ruby rushed to get a swing and grabbed the chains.

"Weiss, Weiss! Push meeee!" she begged.

The white-haired girl rolled her eyes, but complied, getting behind her girlfriend and giving a light shove to Ruby's back.

She repeated the process again and again until Ruby was soaring high up, her sneakers nearly kicking the leaves of the trees as she shrieked happily.

Yang hopped on a swing to compete with her sister, but Ruby was the lighter of the two and emerged victorious.

Once the sisters were finished and the laughter had died down, Ruby gave a shout of "clear the way!"

"What?" Weiss shouted up at her. "Ruby Rose, don't you _dare_ jump off that swing! Just slow down and come off normally, or else you'll break your-"

"Incomiiiiing~!"

Without regard for her girlfriend's warning, Ruby released her hold on the swing's chains and jumped down, Yang following quickly behind her. Weiss shrieked and nearly fainted before Blake pulled her out of the sisters' paths. The two girls landed safely and rather impressively, and Blake offered a small clap.

"Not bad," she praised. "But I think you did a number on Weiss just now."

"Aww!" Ruby hugged her girlfriend tightly. "We're fine, Weiss! Here, lemme make it up to you!"

She took the other girl's hands and led her over to the swing she herself had just jumped off of. Weiss dug her heels into the wood chips in protest.

"Ruby, wait-"

"It's okay! I'm not gonna push you that high. I promise!"

With a kiss to Weiss' cheek, Ruby had her sit down and hold onto the chains of the swing. Weiss sat stiffly as Ruby slipped behind her and pressed her palms to her shoulder blades. She pushed her lightly, just as she'd promised, taking it slow and never making the swing go higher than what Weiss was comfortable with.

Yang took the liberty to push Blake a bit as well, always catching her in a hug whenever she swung back.

They passed a bit of time like that...

Once Weiss had finished swinging, Ruby wrapped her arms around her from behind and leaned her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder, peppering her cheek with small kisses.

At last, the four of them continued on their date, picking up their bags and finishing their walk through the park.

After all the walking under the midday sun, they came to a mutual agreement that it would be best to cool off a bit.

Which led them right back to where they'd started at the ice cream shop.

They took seats at a table for four. Weiss realized this would be her first time being a customer here since her father had opened the shop.

The girls went up to the counter where Sun was waiting for them with an expectant grin on his face.

"What can I get ya?" he wondered.

"A black raspberry cone, please," Blake requested.

"I'll have vanilla!" Yang added.

"Comin' right up, ladies," Sun said, spinning around to get the cups and cones.

Weiss decided on a strawberry-vanilla mix, while Ruby combined chocolate and cookie-dough with her usual unlimited toppings.

As Sun was preparing it for her, Weiss grunted to get his attention.

"And don't forget-"

"I know, I know," he said. "Extra strawberries. I know your girlfriend gets special treatment."

"You're absolutely right she does," Weiss nodded.

Sun handed them both their ice cream as well before heading to the register.

Yang paid for hers and Blake's ice cream, but just as Weiss was about to pull out her wallet, Ruby nudged her. The brunette shook her head and winked before pulling out her final two coupons. Weiss had forgotten about them, but only just now realized Ruby had only ever used one.

She'd been saving these two specifically.

Weiss smiled and bumped her head against the girl's shoulder. Ruby kissed her temple and giggled.

They sat down side-by-side, across from Blake and Yang who were constantly sharing their spoons and switching ice creams.

Weiss fed Ruby a bit of hers and didn't protest when Ruby did the same. Weiss had asked for a strawberry on top as well, so between the two of them, they had three of the fruits.

Weiss cut one of them up and fed a small bit to Ruby with every spoonful of ice cream before wiping her girlfriend's mouth for her with a napkin. In return, whenever Weiss had a sprinkle lingering on her cheek, Ruby darted in to kiss it away.

They finished the final strawberry together before sitting back in their chairs, pleasantly full and effectively cooled off now.

A glance across the table found Blake and Yang had finished as well.

Blake curled into Yang's side, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder as she closed her eyes, resting in a beam of warm sunlight that was cast through the window.

Ruby scooched closer to Weiss as well, her silver eyes holding a silent request. Weiss smiled and reached out to cup those rosy cheeks, fingernails smoothing through her chocolate-brown hair. Ruby's palms found Weiss' waist, rubbing her sides slowly and pulling her in.

They shared a giggle and then a kiss, similar to and yet somehow different from all that had come before, and all that would follow.

It said what words failed to, reminding them of their first meeting, of the incident that had brought them inevitably closer, of the sleepless nights full of songs and the exciting mornings brought by each day.

Their lips moved softly against each other's, two smiles overlapping as hearts beat in time together.

The kiss was warm and yet cool, and tasted faintly of strawberries.

* * *

 **A/N: That will be all for now! Thanks so much for reading and supporting this little AU of mine. But rest assured there will be many more to come!**

 **If you like my work, please support me as Kiria Alice on !**

 **Please review!**


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